Growing by the Minute
by lozlol
Summary: Hermione didn't expect to conceive a child on the night they defeated Voldemort, but she's proud of how she managed to turn her life around. She doesn't expect her carefully laid new plans to be thrown off the rails. Draco has lived alone for years, but suddenly his family swells, his house becoming fuller every day as twist after twist hits him. Can they make their family work?
1. Chapter 1

**Summary: Hermione Granger didn't expect to conceive a child on the night they defeated the Dark Lord, but she's proud of how she managed to turn her life around. She doesn't expect her carefully laid new plans to be thrown off the rails. Draco Malfoy has lived alone for the past couple of years, but suddenly his family swells, and his house becomes fuller every day as twist after twist hits him. Can they make being a family work?**

**This is a short story which focuses on Dramione coming together to look after their child, but drama from other avenues quickly catches up with them, making it even harder than it would be to get to know each other in a vacuum!**

He may have realised his mistakes and switched sides to protect his family at the end of the day, but that did not in any way, shape or form mean that Draco Malfoy enjoyed sitting before Harry Potter's desk as though he were a misbehaving schoolchild in front of his headmaster. He'd never made friends with Golden Boy, or thought that he was their saviour, but sometimes you had to face necessary evils. Draco's company was experiencing attacks he suspected came from dark wizards, and he didn't want to hire private aurors as he knew the Ministry were still suspicious of his family and it couldn't help. Potter was their head auror and he specialised in this type of situation. Still, he said he needed to go check some records after Draco explained everything he knew. Without Granger here it was clearer than ever that he really didn't know it all. Draco sat uncomfortably in his seat for about a minute, and then he needed to get up and stretch, but just as he started to get up, the door opened and a little squeaky voice cried out for 'Uncle Harry'! Unaware that any of the Weasels had had any children, Draco turned around to see which of the gingers he had the pleasure of being in the room with, only to nearly fall out of the chair he was halfway out of. In the doorway, he caught only a brief glance at the little girl, but she had his pale white hair, the pointed sort of sharp nose, the same pale complexion. He didn't catch sight of her eyes before a familiar woman pushed the girl behind her protectively, out of sight. Instead his own wide eyes flew up to the woman's amber ones that seemed caught in headlights, launching him back in time.

_It was all over. So much build up, so much pain, now all that was left was destruction everywhere. Feeling useless sat on a bench with his parents amongst all the crying and laughing and celebrations, Draco got to his shaky feet, wobbling over to a woman lying on the floor clutching her leg. It wasn't a magical injury, it looked as though she'd simply tripped. He knelt down beside her, unsure what exactly to do, but she jerked away- instinctively. He was the enemy after all. Maybe he always would be to these people. "Relax, he's here to help us." The girl did as she was asked and the tension left her body. Draco turned to see who had caused the change, but she was already kneeling beside him, her hair covering her face. Not that it mattered. He'd recognise that bush anywhere. "Press down," she said, he could tell it was directed at him, despite their eyes not meeting. He took over from her pressing down, while she waved her wand to dispel some of the germs, then pulled out a long white bandage, whispering a spell to cut it as she didn't have anything sharp on her. "I took a muggle First Aid course last summer," she muttered in explanation. His eyes remained on her, despite the fact that she didn't look at him, until she finally did and he quickly switched his gaze to the patient, feeling ridiculous and childish. Who was he; an eleven year old child? She wasn't Medusa- looking at each other couldn't do any harm! He glanced back at her as they stood up, and this time their eyes met, making him realise it was the first time. Never before had he actually deigned to look into her eyes. Usually it was down his nose, or when he was drowning in self hatred straight down to the floor. They were brown; not deep muddy brown as he'd mocked her before, but very light, nearly yellowy orange embers. Just as with the eyes, he'd always dismissed her hair as Frankenstein's-monsterish, but in reality it matched them; wild and fiery. Everything about her was so... lionly. People whispered that she should be in Ravenclaw, but as they moved from person to person, he recognised only stubborn Gryffindor determination. Without her, none of them allowed him near them, but when they saw her, they saw the chivalrous heroine of the War._

_The Weasel matriarch came up to them and put a hand on her shoulder, "I think that's all we can do for now Hermione, go rest." She gave him a strange look, not exactly aggressive but certainly cautiously protective. With an indirect nod her way, he trailed Granger out of the Great Hall. Only when they reached an alcove did she spin at the speed of light, grabbing him by the cloak and pulling him into it. He felt his face spasm with surprise, it was almost painful after visibly hiding his emotions for so long, to have them jerked out so suddenly like a rug from under him. "Are you following me or what?"_

_"No I-" it did look that way. Honestly, he'd just been on autopilot, gravitating towards her. "I thought you'd know where we're supposed to... go to rest."_

_Her expression softened a little, looking him up and down. "Anywhere that's empty and quiet." She peered into the Transfiguration classroom opposite them, then reached out, taking his wrist and gently pulling him into the room. Standing by the door, he felt a little like an intruder, despite the fact that she was the one who'd brought him in. The purply light of dusk shone on her hair through the windows, casting it in a different light than ever before. He took a shaky step forwards, opening his mouth to say something, no idea what, but she spun around and took a few strides towards him, covering his mouth with her own before he could shape a word. Shocked, his eyes flew open, but he instinctually kissed her back, taking a couple of seconds before he pulled back. Why? What did she want? How could she feel this way about him? He didn't say any of that, but she read every question in his eyes. "I- I want to celebrate. To remember what we fought for. The opportunities we have now. We're free, happy. Voldemort didn't understand love, but we won because we have feelings, hearts. I want- I want to remember that we still have that after all we've lost."_

_There was a logic to her words, emotional as they were. As a Slytherin, he appreciated that. As a bully, he never would have touched her. But as the new him, there was something telling him to just do it, that this was what he wanted. In that moment she wasn't the mudblood bint he'd always thought of her as. Something in the light, in the way they'd worked as a team in the Great Hall. How she'd eased people's physical suffering and their fear of him. He wanted her to do it for him too. This time he was the one who grabbed her leg, hoisting it up and kissing her like he hadn't kissed anyone in- actually he hadn't kissed anyone in any way for a long time. Her leg was covered by skintight jeans, discoloured by blood and dirt. His shirt was as well, so she pulled it off, throwing it on the burning fire. It was what he wanted too, to be rid of anything carrying connotations of the battle. Unzipping her jeans, he pulled them off for her as she removed her shirt with the bloodstain the size of a remembrall, kicking off her shoes. Kneeling gazing at them, there was something captivating about her legs, but Granger laughed, jerking his head up with a careless hand to the area she wanted him to focus on. Her breasts didn't remain covered for long, and soon she was shouting his last name in a way that was exorbitantly pleasant, not berating or shrill for the first time._

* * *

As soon as she saw the ghost in her best friend's room, Hermione pulled Abi behind her, heart thumping like an African drum. Her daughter immediately went silent, four years old but as smart as her... and him, she supposed. Him. She'd never wanted to accept it, when Ron had yelled at her for cheating on him she hadn't said his name despite all the pushing, only emphasised that she'd never been unfaithful, they'd kissed once beforehand and gotten together for a flashing brief period afterwards. "Mummy," whispered the familiar little voice, tugging gently on her arm. She was trying her hardest not to look into his eyes, but it was impossible to miss the sharp intake of breath, confirmation of what he must have already known when he saw them. "Who is that?" Hermione squeezed her daughter's hand, casting her eyes reluctantly over to Malfoy's. More than anything, she wanted to grab Abi and apparate out of there, but her feet felt glued to the floor even without a spell to keep her stuck. She was glad his eyes weren't the same as Abi's, but they haunted her none the less. The confused foggy cloud shifting to a steely grey as his walls went up; reminding her of the night that changed everything.

* * *

_Both breathing heavily, the two war survivors fell back onto the desk behind them. Hermione shut her eyes, smiling as the remnants of pleasure vibrated throughout her body. She stretched out her hand, lacing it into Malfoy's gorgeous blond mop and leaning in to kiss his cheek, but he turned his head at the last minute- not to kiss her on the lips but to turn entirely away. She withdrew her hand, giving an involuntary gulp and immediately wishing she could take it back. "Thanks for the test ride Granger," he said flatly, staring at the flames. "But I don't want to buy the broom." She wanted to slap him, but that was understandable, right? No, he wasn't any good at sensitive phrasing, but she'd said before that she just wanted to feel something with someone again, she hadn't asked him for anything more. This wasn't how long term relationships started. Still, her lip quivered as she stretched for the right words, and eventually settled on the stupid sounding "right," accioing her clothes and disappearing down the hallway. He didn't call after her and she didn't come back, either to him or to Hogwarts. When she found out she was pregnant she couldn't stand the thought of people changing her monicker from the Brightest Witch of Her Age to the most Banged Up, ignoring her potential and skills. Instead she transferred to Mahoutokora, working her arse off and taking her exams early in January, less than a month before she gave birth. She loved it in Japan and they were admiring of her multitasking rather than scathing, so she'd moved a country over to raise her daughter, nevertheless still unable to avoid the papers plastering Malfoy across them whenever they could as their sex symbol and business icon with his father's company. Not that she could blame them._

* * *

Crashing open through their tiny bubble, Harry turned all their heads to him as he tumbled into the room with a stack of papers, surveying them quizzically. "What in Godric's name is going on here?" Hermione tipped her head towards him, her eyes pleading for help. "Come on Little Miss Abigail, there's a new flavour downstairs!" The Ministry had a secret cake shop only for employees that her daughter loved to visit almost more than seeing her uncle whenever they came her. Her favourite was sticky toffee, which magically glued itself to the roof of your mouth, exemplifying the flavour, for about 90 seconds, making Abi beam widely whenever she tasted it. There was another for adults only, a version of spotted dick which no, did not contain real male genitalia, but did give you that brand of satisfaction! Abi put on a strong pout, but Harry grabbed her hand, promising a delicious/disgusting new Bertie Bott's milkshake as a side for her cake, shooting Hermione a look that said he expected a full lowdown later on. Abi also cast her a curious look as the door shut behind them, leaving the room thick with tension. Malfoy raised a questioning eyebrow, and she cleared her throat of what felt like a bludger fluttering around inside it.

_**Review!**_


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

All thoughts of his money problems carried away as if by a thestral, Draco's mind could only think of two sets of similarly amber eyes now. The ones he was staring into were set, protective, whilst the ones that had just left the room had been innocent and confused, but they both shared the same curious intellect, despite that Granger's may be dampened in this moment. Draco put a finger to his forehead, the place where a burning feeling was growing. "Would you care to explain why there is a child with my hair and your eyes Granger?"

Her expression narrowed, seeming to shift the colour slightly. "I think even you know how babies are made Malfoy," she spat, shocking him with the abruptness. "Godric knows you probably have more than a few out there."

He shook his head vehemently. "I have always been careful, I know how magical birth control wor-"

"Well clearly not!" She exclaimed, and for a terrifying moment he thought she might burst out crying. He could deal with yelling, but not tears! But she was Granger, she may be frustrating but she was stubborn and would never let anyone she didn't want to see her break. The determination of a true Gryffindor. "What do you want?" His brow furrowed in confusion, and she launched into the options in her head, "a contract never to reveal this to the media? A donation to child support to ease your conscience?"

"No! No!" His tone was clearly horrified, though she didn't seem to have a clue why. Clearly she still thought of him as the serpentine monster they had all always thought he was. "She's my daughter. I want to know her. And I'm sure she needs my paternal presence in her life."

She had a fringe now. It gave her face more expression, stopping it from being swamped beneath her bush. Looking up at him from underneath it, her eyes looked as deep as rich chocolate brownies in the light. "We've done just fine without a bloody 'paternal presence' for four years."

"None at all?" He couldn't help but jump on the tidbit. "Not Weasel, or Potty?"

Decision looked as though it clamped down on her. "Harry," she corrected him. "Is a wonderful uncle. Not that it's any of your business but I haven't spoken to Ron since he discovered my condition." The Weasel hadn't leapt on the chance to be a Father; surprising since they all seemed so family oriented. What could have caused them to entirely stop communicating? "So I suppose yes, she does have a mature paternal-like presence, and she doesn't need anyone less than that in her life." She arched an eyebrow, directing a bold challenge at him. "Anyone who still uses childish nicknames."

He bristled, rising to the challenge. "I have rights; more than that, I have time to make up for. I want to be there for her, for you."

She snorted; "I think it's clear you've never wanted to help me."

There were less harsh things he could have said that night, but he'd been afraid. Everything was shifting around him, but he was still the same man. He'd felt like he was on a See-sore, at a tipping point in his life, and all he knew was that he was terrified of losing what he had remaining. But it had been four years now. Some of the things he'd been so scared of losing he now knew he never could. Others he had lost, but realised that he could live without them. The patronage of the Dark Lord, the friends dedicated to him who now thought Draco was a slimy worm, the facade of wealth and perfection. "In this moment there's nothing I want more than to get to know my daughter. I swear to you Granger, I'm genuine in this." She studied him for a few moments, before gracing him with a nod, but she reached over to the desk, grabbing some paper and dipping Potter's quill into his ink pot. "What are you doing?"

Granger scrawled a title across the page, displaying it to him. A contract. "You can't just waltz in here with no rules. I don't want you trying to bribe her love with material possessions, and I'm not comfortable with your being alone with her either." The unsaid word hung in the air, but it gave him hope; yet. After they finished the document they pricked their fingers, shaking hands. It wasn't just the faint glimmering magic shining around their hands, there was something jilting about the contract, a shiver racing up his arm just like the first time he'd touched her. For a moment he thought she'd gasped because of the same feeling, but she whipped her head to the door, alerting him to the fact that it was actually their daughter who had made the noise. "Mummy!" She cried out, dropping Potter's hand and racing over with a panicked expression. "Do you have the magic cream with you?"

Draco raised a confused eyebrow. He wasn't sure exactly what tincture she'd been referring to. It was a rather vague description lacking ingredients. Granger turned, not quite looking at him, but dipping her head and murmuring, "germolene, it's a muggle cream." He was still quite perplexed as to how this deserved the title 'magic', but indeed, Granger pulled out a tiny cosmetics bag, producing a jumbo pack of wipes to clear away any infection, a tube with that G word on it, and an extendable roll of dinasour plasters. Abi watched them clean their wounds, then she took a plaster for each of them with great care, her tongue stuck out as she placed them down on their fingers. He used to do that as a child! Granger seemed to consider it uncertainly for a little while, then she sighed, heading over to the other side of the room to fill her best friend in, leaving Draco with the little girl.

"So... uh..." he'd never considered what he'd say to a hypothetical four year old daughter if he one day found out he had one. "How was the milkshake?"

She began to list off all the disgraceful and delicious flavours she'd tasted, rattling through them before she asked, "Are you really my daddy?"

"I-" Was he? What made you a daddy? Surely it was more than just genetics. All he knew was that he wanted to be it, so he nodded, and a smile bloomed on her face, filling his heart with more joy than he'd ever felt before with just a simple gesture.

"Come on then," said Granger, who he looked up to see moving away from a still gaping Potter. Evidently he'd never connected the dots, and was still finding it hard to do so. They'd decided to go to Draco's home, against her initial wishes. Granger had admitted that travelling back to the country they lived in tended to leave Abi needing a nap from the jet lag, and that her parents' house where they stayed when they came to visit wouldn't be the best option as her family knew all about their past and it would be far too much of a show when she wanted her daughter to get to know him in a relaxed, normal situation. That had led him to the view that his house was the best and only option. Naturally, Granger's memories of Malfoy Manor were full of hardship- however that wasn't actually where he lived anymore. She'd assumed he was still with his parents, but actually they'd given him the house in Cornwall. Granger hadn't been much more favourable of that idea, expecting the same level of ostentatiousness it was clear she didn't want her daughter exposed to, but she'd finally given in.

* * *

The wards around Malfoy's home meant that they had to apparate with him, but Hermione snatched her hand away as soon as possible when they landed, taking in her surroundings, which constituted a surprisingly modest looking terraced house, with idealistic white roses running up a trellis and a little pond accessible by a goblin sized bridge. Abi ran over to it excitably, pointing at the "fishies" in a more general sense and then proceeding to shock Malfoy by naming the species of each and every one, courtesy of the book her grandparents had gotten her for Christmas. Hermione smirked proudly at her smart little girl, and due to amusement at the expression on the school bully's face. She could hear the wind whistling, faint crashes, and there was the undeniable smell of salt. These suspicions were confirmed when Malfoy wandered over to Abi, telling her he knew where they could go if she wanted to see some bigger fishies. She looked to Hermione as if she knew the answer, but her mother just shrugged, the two girls following the blond man around the house, Abi jumping into the air when a little pathway down to the beach opened up! She took off at lightning speed, sand spraying behind her. "Roll up your trousers if you're going in! No further than your knees!" Hermione called out, turning to glare at Malfoy when he sniggered- her mum stare immediately turning him to stone. "What do you think you're laughing at?"

They followed Abi down to the sea, quickly needing to wade in when she went against Hermione's orders! The rebellious little girl began splashing them in retaliation, and Malfoy quickly played along battling Abi, but his face fell when her daughter ducked and he hit Hermione instead! She glared, stomping towards him through the waves like the troll she'd encountered in First Year- only to splash him back and burst into laughter! Spluttering, the Slytherin had a delayed reaction, allowing the girls to mount a full frontal attack on him! The three of them continued to have more fun than either of the adults had thought possible, until Abi shrieked, stubbornly released tears beginning to stream down her face. Hermione immediately leapt into action, bending down and asking what was wrong. She quickly discovered that her daughter had been stung by a sea creature, probably a jellyfish, and rushed her to the shore. She could feel Malfoy watching her out of the corner of her eye, but she didn't pay him any attention. She wracked her brain, but there wasn't a spell she knew to help this, although she did faintly remember how her mother treated the same ailment when she was stung. "Accio tweezers," She called while telling her shadow to make himself useful and get the magic cream from the same bag. As she carefully removed the spines, singing to distract Abi, he pulled it out of the bag and passed it to her, allowing her to briefly catch the panicked expression on his face. They rinsed the area with seawater and then she carefully applied a little of the magic cream around it, more to psychologically help her daughter than anything else, paracetamol would be more useful than cream right now, and she'd been meaning to restock. "How are you feeling honey?" She asked anxiously. Abi looked up and gave her two thumbs and a request for food, causing both adults to make a strange, relieved half wheezing-half exhale sort of noise. "You just had cake!"

"That was pudding," Malfoy pointed out. "Just eaten in reverse order." Abi grinned a toothy smile across at her ally, exactly what Hermione hadn't wanted, but nothing could ruin her happiness right now. "What do you want? My elves will make you anything."

This comment worked up the four year old even more, realisation dawning in her eyes. "That song they played at the Burrow Christmas party..." she exclaimed. "Mummy you did kiss Santa Claus! My daddy is Father Christmas!" Mentally facepalming, Hermione let Malfoy cover the differences in types of elves this time, stunned when he added at the end that his were paid too. She knew that comment was for her after all her campaigning. She'd achieved changes in Japan, but she knew from Harry that no such legislation had been passed in the UK. Treating them well was a choice that Malfoy himself must have made.

* * *

When they'd eaten Abi's choice of "Yeti", Granger was quick to grammatically correct her there, they played Draco's favourite Wizarding board game. Usually the icons morphed based on the host's opinion on the person playing with them, so Abi became a duck (which she was thrilled with) and Granger briefly a hippo, but he quickly transfigured it into an otter with a nervous laugh. She cast him a strange look, and he realised with dread that she didn't know he'd ever seen her casting her patronus, it was when he'd been watching her through a window on a prefect round that he'd caught sight of her casting it. There were times that he could look back at now and admire her for: her handling of the famous troll; the collision between her hand and his face; her relentless campaigning for the Salazaarforsaken S.P.E.W- but that was the first one where he'd respected her in the moment. He'd watched her for a good ten minutes, unsure why except that it was fascinating to watch the ever-successful Granger failing at something but retaining her determination. Watching her finally succeed was almost inspiring, and when Pansy had found and tapped him on the shoulder with her simpering, he'd told her the corridor was clear and they'd headed back towards the dungeons. Another curious development; his icon had always been a dragon like his name, but today it was a ferret.

Naturally, with his superior knowledge, Draco won the first time, but the Grangers were remarkably determined, continuing on until they'd both won at least once. When she was victorious Abi had been bounding around with energy, but by the time her mother won the little girl was yawning about fifty times a minute. Draco gestured upstairs questioningly, but Granger shook her head, sticking to the contract. "I think it's time we head home... Thank you for today though." She picked up Abi, the little girl waving over her mother's shoulder at him tiredly; and then they disapparated- he'd changed the wards to accommodate the two of them. He'd always lived alone in this house, but for some reason it seemed entirely empty without them there. There was no laughter, or bustling, or even Granger's scolding- of him, her daughter was fairly well behaved. Sighing, he headed off to bed, exhausted from the day too.

* * *

Hermione let her mother read Abi's bedtime story. She was just tucking herself into bed when Jean appeared in the doorway to ask "so when were you going to tell me you spent the day with Abi's father?" Hermione did a mental facepalm, preparing to get up but her mum came to sit on the edge of the bed instead. "I didn't think you even knew who he was."

She pulled a face. "Mum! Do you think I'm a slut? In fact, he's the only man I've ever been with."

"I guess there's no doubt then. I'm still going to need confirmation because the description Abigail gave me sounds suspiciously like the boy you always described to us as, quote, "rotten to the core". But it can't be him."

She sighed. "Yes, it's Draco Malfoy."

Her mother gave her a look as if expecting a full explanation, but eventually said, "it's no affront to either of you darling, but I want you both out in the morning." Hermione's jaw dropped. Yes, she'd been expecting them to be angry at Malfoy, but she never thought her parents would take it out on them. "This isn't a punishment. But if you're giving this man- and you and Abi- a real chance, then you need o commit to it. You should see what it's like to live together."

"You're telling me to move in with a man you hate? Who I'm not even dating?"

"Abi should be able to get to know him in a domestic setting. I'm not saying you have to get together, and it doesn't have to be forever, but most families get to grow into each other. If you're leaping into one, you should do it whole-heartedly."

Hermione puffed out a reluctant breath, but she nodded, writing a quick letter to send by owl to Malfoy.


	3. Chapter 3

**_Chapter 3:_**

Bouncing up and down, Abi was more of an impediment than an aid to packing. She prattled on and on about all the things she could do with her Daddy now, each one making Hermione's heart fall further and further. Yes, he'd been good to Abi yesterday, but parenting wasn't about one fun day. You had to be committed, consistent, there. Maybe it was her own baggage, but Hermione was terrified that he was going to leave her daughter as soon as things got hard, or he tired of her. They kissed her parents goodbye and then they were outside Malfoy's house. Immediately when Hermione placed her down, Abi ran up the pathway to the door, rapping on it hard. The Gryffindor woman watched her until the door began to open, quickly putting all her focus on the luggage. She could hear Malfoy and Abi bantering around, a shriek as he probably lifted her up or something. Calm thoughts. Startled, she dropped the other bags when a big hand took the one she was currently lifting. If she'd been expecting any help it would have been from the house elves, but Malfoy carried her belongings without asking for a word of thanks. It wasn't as if he could have mistaken them for Abi's, unless he thought she would pepper her own with Bob the Builder stickers too. Taking that expanding suitcase in her own hand, Hermione followed him upstairs, going past a room with an open door revealing her daughter hugging a house elf trying to show her the cupboards. She chuckled, but told her daughter to leave the poor creature alone. "Flinter gives Mistress many thank you's!" The elf declared when it was freed from the vice grip.

"Oh I'm not- we're not st-" Hermione trailed off as she watched Abi leap onto the bed- someone Malfoy had gotten her covers decorated with sea creatures. Early this morning? Late last night? He couldn't have received the owl before ten pm- she hadn't sent it until an hour earlier.

"Thank Salazar she seems to like it," Malfoy murmured, seeming to have genuinely been on edge. "I was thinking we could get her one of those Java lamps to make her room seem as though it's underwater- but I didn't have any time."

"Lava?" She laughed shortly, still feeling a little strange enjoying talking to him at all if Abi wasn't involved in the conversation. She supposed they were talking about her. And it was a wonderful idea, one she'd never thought of but knew her daughter would adore. "Is there a big store nearby?"

"Oh, I don't know," he admitted, running a hand through his hair in a nervous sort of endearing way, rather than how the same action used to seem self indulgent. "I've never been down to the nearest village."

She raised an eyebrow. "What do you do all day?"

"Work," he answered automatically. She could certainly relate to that. She was a workaholic, and despite how he used to teach Pureblood supremacy, she knew the way he'd fought to rival her at school must come from practise. "Visit my family. Read."

"Where do you get the books from then?" She wondered aloud. They were at the fairly bog standard room for her now. He began to help her unpack, but she held up a hand. "I can do it."

He shook his head, "I have something to show you when we've unpacked." _Curiouser and curiouser._

* * *

Draco headed into Abi's room to watch her for a few minutes as Granger finished unpacking the last of her things. She'd asked him to leave; he suspected because she hadn't gotten out her underwear yet, not that he hadn't seen it already. He didn't mind; it was strangely perfect watching his daughter settling into his home. One of his elves had helped her unpack, she did seem to be trying to actively partake, but she kept getting distracted by racing to the window and pointing out of it. He'd given her a room with a view out to the sea, it seemed to fascinate her, as it did him. That was why he'd chosen this house out of the list his parents presented him with when he left school. They'd chucked him out in the same way it seemed Granger's parents had, but unlike her, it was his father who had taken the initiative. Lucius was all too aware of the suspicions people still held against him, and wanted him to gain as much distance as possible. He still wanted him to take control of the company, but to try to reform its image. A difficult task, and Draco knew most people still thought of the Malfoys in the same light they always had.

"Let's go see this surprise then," Granger announced from the doorway.

"Well," he said. "I gave you both a tour yesterday, but there's a couple of rooms I didn't have time for." Granger raised an eyebrow, but the two girls followed him downstairs. "This is the stage," he announced. He may not have a ballroom like there was his in childhood home, nevertheless he'd been fearful that Granger might find the room excessive, so he hadn't shown them yesterday, wanting to present himself in the best possible light. She did seem quite disturbed, but Abi leapt onto it excitedly, babbling about the shows she could do with her cousins Vicky and Dom. Granger quickly filled him in that these were Bill Weasley and Fleur Delacour's daughters, apparently both rather dramatic, she seemed to doubt Abi would be interested in performing if it wasn't what she did with her family friends. Draco quickly suggested they could visit, of course, despite the slight bile rising in his chest at the thought of Weasleys in his home. Apparently Abi loved being a big cousin (although Victoire was only a week younger than her) and couldn't wait for the third of their children who would be arriving soon, as well as Potter and Weaselette's foetus.

The last ostentatious room to show them; he warned Granger before they went in. Pausing with his hand on the golden doorknob, he told her "this is my pride of the house. Prepare yourself, it's a little, uh, intense." She nodded, he could practically see the possibilities running through her mind: peacocks dancing on hind legs; a throne made of diamonds and rubies? Pushing open the door, he turned to see her reaction. Amazement, joy, awe flew across her face like a series of different coloured fireworks, each distinguishable and clear. The fairytale stained glass windows reflected colourful lights onto her skin, and whilst Abi ran forward to jump into a beanbag, she instead took a slow step forwards, gazing up at the spiralling staircase, the rows and rows, extending upwards in an impossibly tall ceiling, of books. "This feels like my Belle moment..." Granger whispered wondrously. "Beauty and the Beast," she added when she saw his expression. "It's a scene from the film."

"I know that book," he wandered over to the section filled with his childhood reads, taking it out and passing it to Abi. "In fact I have it right here."

"You need to see the film!" The little blonde girl said. "It's my favourite because Belle's basically Mummy, even though I look more like Aurora."

"Unfortunately for me, you don't like sleeping as much as she does," Granger teased her daughter, and for a moment Draco had that sense of being on the outside, completely oblivious to what they were talking about, then she turned back to him. "We're watching it tonight. No arguments." He couldn't hide the ghostly edge of a smile as he watched her run her hand along the collection, stopping regularly to pull out a volume and flip through it. By the time she reached the end of the first level she was weighed down by a huge pile. Abi had a smaller collection, some possibly a little beyond her current abilities but Draco said he would be more than happy to read them to her when she tugged on his arm to ask. They ended up spending the entire morning in the library, and he suspected Granger could have stayed for several months, but Abi's stomach began to growl like the monster she was reading about. Draco started to make her the same offer as he had the previous night, but Granger shook her head. "This is ridiculous! You're a grown man! You need to learn how to cook something, even if it's just beans on toast." And so his trials began.

* * *

After tying one of their general sized ones neatly around her daughter, Hermione transfigured two of the house elves' aprons into larger sizes for her and Malfoy. "What do we fancy?" She asked.

Abi pulled herself up onto a stool, her hands under her chin and after a moment of contemplation decided in a serious voice, "lasagna."

"Hmm," Hermione pretended to consider it. "That might be a little advanced for our first lesson. How about soup?"

"I like soup," Malfoy pronounced, so of course Abi declared her adoration for it too. She was helping Abi, but her daughter seemed to have things in hand, whereas Malfoy seemed about to throw the peeler across the room.

Crossing over to him, she shook her head. "You can't just brush it over the carrot, you have to actually press down a little." She placed her hand over his, exerting the right amount of pressure and drawing it downwards. He turned his head to her in a jerking motion, their faces so close they could kiss again. Kiss? Where in Godric's name did that come from? Shaking herself internally, she dropped her hand. "Now you try." Her voice came out a little more high pitched than usual, but neither of the other two seemed to notice. At least, she didn't think Malfoy did. He stared at her for a couple more seconds, as if he wanted to say something, but instead he just moved the peeler. "Perfect."

* * *

They spent the afternoon out on the beach. Hogwarts had come up during their lunch conversation, and Abi wanted a full scale model, so the pair set about making a real sand castle. As she bent down, Granger's skirt flew up in the wind and Draco quickly averted his eyes out of respect, but he caught brief sight of the lacy red knickers underneath and remembered ones of the same colour on the floor in the classroom. He felt something harden, but quickly pulled himself out of it as he crouched down to help. "I know what you're up to," Granger muttered as she shaped Gryffindor tower. He glanced up into her eyes in surprise, seeing the exact moment the twinkle entered them and she whispered, "you're using wandless magic!" Oh! He'd thought he was being subtle, but perhaps the Quidditch pitch was a little too perfect.

Granger quirked her lip, moving her hand over it threateningly, ready to knock it down. "No!" He cried dramatically. "Don't!"

"What's in it for me?" She asked like a true Slytherin.

His hands out protectively in front of his masterpiece to protect it, Draco considered what she could want. "I'll go down to that muggle village with you for the first time!" He promised.

She extended her hand. "Only if you'll show us some Wizarding World wonders too." Grinning, he shook her hand. The first time they'd done that it had been so much more serious, now he was really seeing the openness in her expression she hadn't displayed since their night together.

* * *

They did have lasagna for dinner, although they allowed the house elves to make it to ensure it was edible, despite his protestations that he was now a pro chef. He couldn't deny they made the most wonderful thing he'd ever tasted, so maybe it was for the best. They were just bringing out the pudding when the doorbell rang loud and clear. Who could it be? Apart from his family, he'd never had an unexpected visitor. His friends knew to forewarn if they wanted his full attention rather than him being halfway through a piece of work. "Excuse me," he told the girls, standing up to go investigate, however before he could do that, a far too familiar woman bustled into the room, with a panicked house elf hurrying after her.

"Clinky is sorry Master!" He exclaimed, seeming as though he were about to burst into tears. Draco could somewhat relate, although his feelings bordered more on anger. "She bustled past Clinky!"

Draco held up a hand. "It's fine Clinky, you couldn't stop her. She's very... persistent." He found he didn't particularly care if the woman heard the complete distaste dripping off his tongue. She'd never cared if he heard her true feelings. It was time the punishment was revisited on her.

As ever, with an audience, she played for everything she was worth, tears beginning to stream down her face as she lifted the toddler on her hip- the toddler on her hip? Dread pooled in Draco's stomach as Astoria shrieked "you embrace this child when you spurn mine?!" And an agonising screeching sound as Granger pushed her chair back, grabbing her confused daughter and pulling her by the hand upstairs, everything collapsing inwards like a never ending circle of dominos.

**AN: Drama queen is in the house! How much trouble do you think she's gonna cause?**


	4. Chapter 4

_**Chapter 4:**_

_**AN: Sorry for the delay I've had some computer issues but I have a new laptop now so we should be good!**_

Draco advanced on his ex-fiancée, unable to hide the threatening tone from his voice as he avoided looking at the child she held. "What the fuck do you think you're doing?"

Her audience was gone now, but Astoria still sniffled, before fixing him with an iron glare. "Don't talk like that in front of your son. Honestly! All I've ever done is love you, and this is how you repay me?"

Throwing his hands up in frustration, Draco exclaimed, "all you've ever done is lie! Why should this time be any different?"

"Look at him," said Astoria simply. "Really look at him." Making a huffing noise, Draco acquiesced, hoping it would get her to shut up. She passed him the child, and he looked down, only to see his eyes mirrored exactly. Abi shared a lot of his features and with this boy it was the other way around. Besides those eyes, there was nothing he recognised as his own- but there was no mistaking those eyes. "His name's Scorpius." He looked back up at Astoria, smug victory in her expression. A constellation; she knew that was the tradition of his maternal family.

Draco turned as he heard a commotion on the stairs. Racing over, he put a hand on the front door to block Granger as she tried to leave through it. Her reluctant gaze followed up his arm to his eyes, glancing back at the two children before she mediated her speech "move out of the way you... evil bellend." He raised an eyebrow, but unwilling to give up, took her arm. She looked at it with an expression sort of... disgusted? Frustrated? From behind her, Abi reached out for the toddler Draco was still holding in the arm not on Granger's.

"Can I play with him?"

Leaping on the opportunity, Draco smiled and set him down carefully. "Of course!" The two children quickly began to interact, and with a sigh acknowledging that she wouldn't be able to get away for a little while, Granger acquiesced, following him into the sitting room. As he pushed the door shut behind them, he saw a grinning Astoria making herself at home on a chaise lounge well away from the children.

The differences between the two of them were stark. Granger didn't head for the largest most silken furniture, but seated herself instead on the simplest armchair, folding her arms over her chest in a gesture that told him you have two minutes and no more. Very well. "Many Purebloods, at least before the war, seek alliances early on. Financial, political, social; all aims achieved in one betrothal between their children. Aged eight, a contract was drawn up for the engagement of myself and seven year old Astoria. Every year from then on we never saw each other, save for the obligatory dance at my family's annual festive ball. Even when she came to Hogwarts she'd try to catch my eye sometimes with her simpering and I'd nod politely at her but try to avoid her as much as possible." He struggled to keep the disdain out of his voice, but Granger could obviously hear it. "My friend, her older sister, Daphne had given me a lot of cautionary tales about her. It didn't matter in the end; when my father was sent to Azkaban Lord Greengrass immediately cut all arrangements off. But as fate had it, or so I thought, we reunited a year after the Battle of Hogwarts, seated next to each other at a Quidditch match. I didn't want to talk to her, but she began a conversation, and I was pleasantly surprised by the interest she seemed to show in the sport after my history with her along with Daphne's usually reliable information told me she wasn't invested in anything but the superficial. We decided to meet up again and soon I was addicted, despite everything my family and friends said against her." He doubted Granger knew anything of her. They weren't in the same year at school, and Astoria was an heiress, without any resolve so unlike Daphne who actually used her money to help people, she mostly just swanned about. There was no reason, except for this one, why their paths should have crossed. "We didn't date for that long before I popped the question, and she excitedly agreed before I even finished my prepared speech, grabbing the ring and slipping it onto her finger before I could put it on for her. She didn't look at me for about a week," he chuckled without mirth. "Mesmerised by the glittering stones. In fact, maybe she never looked at me again. She thought she'd achieved it all. I was always looking at her. And she was in. But then I was out." He'd been sitting opposite Granger, but he couldn't sit still any longer. A strange feeling was shaking him; he could practically see Astoria smirking behind his eyelids. A true Slytherin. He'd give her that. Getting to his feet, he began to pace. "My company started to struggle, and I woke up one morning, rolling over in bed, to find her side empty, and so were the cupboards." Granger's face fell with shame. It was clear she'd thought the situation had been reversed. "No, I never would have left Astoria, but now that there was a crack in me, my friend Blaise jumped straight into it. He's got a company of his own, and several spies on hand. He showed me moving pictures they'd taken that he knew I wouldn't have glanced at before. Now I saw them. Her throwing her arms around a suited man... and another. The transcript from an extendable ear conversation with a man who knew about me. They were mocking my stupidity. He was trying to do that to prove to her that he was better. Smarter. More worthy. I take some joy in the knowledge Blaise gave me that she didn't choose him as her next victim when she left me."

Granger got to her feet too, outraged red cheeks. "How do you know for certain he's yours then?"

"The eyes," Draco waved a dismissive hand. "But Granger, you have to know, I didn't know anything about him either. I would never have left either of my children if I knew about them, and I don't want to now. I want to get to know him, and Abi, and you."

"And Astoria?" She said blankly.

He scoffed. "I know more than I want to about her, but if that's what it takes to be with my son then I suppose. Could you deal with that?"

She nodded. "Of course. No, you should. Just uh..." she looked up at him. "Be careful." He nodded.

* * *

As Hermione had promised, she took Malfoy down to the village for the first time the next day. Astoria didn't show any excitement, and she would have been more than happy to leave the Slytherin behind, but Malfoy suggested it'd be a nice family activity. That didn't mean Astoria couldn't protest by wearing stilettos rather than wellies like the rest of them, but that only hurt her. "A muggle village," she muttered to Malfoy repeatedly, as if expecting him to turn around and take her home when she reached the magic number of repetitions. Mouth open in a perpetually 'ew' shape, she picked her way down the muddy footpath, holding her son out loosely as if he were a piece of jewellery. Hermione wanted to grab him before he inevitably fell, but she held strong and marched ahead to join Abi, who was skipping along singing to herself. "Eek!" Astoria suddenly screamed as she stepped into a puddle of mud, loosening her grip on her son even further- and thankfully Malfoy took him. The small satisfaction on her face suggested that was what she'd wanted the whole time.

"You might want to transfigure your shoes now," Hermione suggested, unable to disguise the exasperation from poisoning her voice. Astoria glared, but changed them to designer-like riding boots, a little better she supposed.

They'd reached the bottom of the hill and emerged into a picturesque little village. It wasn't anywhere near as bustling as Hogsmeade, and there were far less shops but there was a corner shop and a tea room. They went into the corner shop first; Scorpius kept pointing at a little Dumbledorelike wizard figurine muggles thought they all looked like, every time they went past it, so Malfoy bought it for him (with a little muggle money he surprisingly had at home and had taken out). He also got Abi a pack of her favourite sweets, white chocolate mice. She'd been worried about him trying to buy her daughter, but it wasn't like this was a fluorescent pink mini Mercedes Benz that cost thousands- it was only 50p! After the pit stop they moved on to the tea room for lunch. It was shockingly packed, and besides, Malfoy had miscalculated how much muggle money was worth and only brought a tenner. She collected everyone's orders and had them go save a big table while she ordered. There was a tall and fairly plump woman in front of her, so she didn't have much of a view ahead of her. But when the woman moved aside, Hermione felt a little faint when she saw the man a few feet away sipping a cup of tea. "Ron?" Her ex-boyfriend gave his stock shock expression, and leant over the kiosk as if he was going to reach out to feel her and ascertain whether or not she was real, dropping his cup back onto the saucer. "What are you doing here?"

"Ma'am," said a woman around her age with her hair in a messy bun and an apron tied around her waist. "Is there something you'd like to order?"

Hermione passed her the sheet of paper she'd scribbled their orders on, and added that she'd have a ham and cheese panini and a slice of red velvet cake. Staring at Ron after that mundane moment was incredibly odd. He seemed so utterly out of place, as if he were a cardboard cut out on the wrong set. "I'm passing through." He explained that he'd tried out for a Quidditch team but hadn't made it, so he'd moped around for a year or so before his mother threw him out, telling him he was ruining his life and needed to do something- anything! So he'd become a food critic for a Wizarding magazine that listed the best places for wizards to travel to experience the muggle culture.

"Where does this little establishment rank?" She asked with a chuckle.

He grinned that lopsided smile back at her. "You won't get any better brew."

"I'd better try it then," she said, meaning her own drink, of course, but he lifted up his own cup, offering her a sip. She reached out for it, but then, seemingly of its own volition, the cup tipped backwards and spilled all over Ron's front, sending him crashing backwards in surprise and banging his head on the wall, slumping downwards. Hermione briefly glanced backwards- it had almost seemed magical- and saw Malfoy's head snap slightly to face Astoria. She didn't have time to be disappointed in him as she jumped down to cup Ron's face with her hands, inspecting the damage. His eyes were still shut, and for a moment she whispered his name in a panic, but they slowly fluttered open and he moaned "ow." She laughed in relief, despite the seriousness on his face as he added "my mum was right. I had been messing up my life. Especially when I stupidly left you." That cut her off, and she just stared at him in silence for a moment. It was almost a relief when Ron clutched his head with an exaggerated expression of pain.

"It doesn't look like you have a bump, but you shouldn't be by yourself for the next few hours, just in case."

"I am," he said quickly. "By myself. I'm staying in a Bed and Breakfast. It's a bit of a hovel but it was only for a couple of days."

She glanced over at the others. "Don't be silly. Come back with us."

Ron's eyes widened a little and he reached out to put a steadying hand on her arm. "Am I hallucinating, or is that Ferretface?"

"The very one." How to explain? She didn't want him going off on her again like when she told him she was pregnant. At the time she'd thought, how much worse would it have been if he knew who the father was? Seemed she was about to find out. Maybe simplicity was the best approach. "He's, um, my daughter's dad."

Ron's eyes widened to the size of bludgers; his typically comical reaction seeming even larger than usual. Probably just because she hadn't seen it in so long. The ginger's eyes crossed to the little blonde girl teaching her father how to play tic-tack-toe. "Godric... she's so old. What's her name?"

Well that was unexpected, but certainly refreshingly mature. She'd never have thought Ron would focus on Abi rather than Malfoy. Maybe he really had taken his mother's advice and grown up.

* * *

Draco felt a burning feeling in his stomach as he watched the Weasel interacting with Granger. What was he doing here? From what she'd told him, it sounded as though he'd been terribly unsupportive. Neither she nor Abi needed that type of energy now they were doing so well. It was an impulse to spill that tea, and he hadn't done it with any force. There was no reason the Weasel should have flown backwards at all, but he looked away guilitily anyway, regardless of his confusion. "Jealous Drake?" Asked Astoria, leaning in on her hand with a Circe-like leer.

"I just don't want him ruining my family," he muttered under his breath.

"I thought that was my job," she said, and he looked at her in surprise because this was spoken in a jocular tone, not catty or self-indulgent, but friendly, trying to amuse him rather than just herself. He wasn't sure he'd ever heard her speak in such a way, nor was that small smile familiar. It was far too subtle for her, it wouldn't have been visible on a stage, and she always behaved as if she expected a live studio audience were watching.

Draco fixed his eyes on her coldly. "What are you up to?"

She sighed, sounding genuinely exhausted. "Why do I always have to have an agenda regarding you?"

"I don't know Tori, you tell me." He snapped out the nickname before he knew what he was doing. Needing time to collect himself before he slipped even further into the trap she was surely setting up, he turned to play some hand game with his daughter, blocking Astoria out as her usual sounds of boredom resumed.

**_Predictions? ;)_**


	5. Chapter 5

_**Chapter 5:**_

Hermione snorted as she tucked her ex-boyfriend into bed in the spare room Malfoy had given him, thankfully the Slytherin hadn't put up a fight at all about letting him stay, although his house seemed to be becoming a halfway house. It was also good to see Ron wasn't taking this pampering too seriously as he begrudgingly admitted, "these covers feel as though they were sown by angels."

"How's your headache?" She asked.

He gestured to the ibuprofen on the bedside table. "Better since you gave me that muggle medication."

"They should add 'heals even the most magical of wounds to their tagline'." He made a huh noise and she shook her head. "Don't worry about it."

With a shrug, he moved on. "So let me go over this one more time to be sure I have it straight. You banged Malfoy after the Battle of Hogwarts, boom, kid. He got engaged to this Greengrass girl, they banged and he knocked her up, then she left him. Now you're all living together playing happy families?"

A small frown crossed her face. "It was my parents that made me come here, not my choice."

"They forced you into that?"

"Not exactly, I-" she shook her head to clear her thoughts. "It's for the best. I'm glad I relented. Malfoy's been pretty great with Abi so far actually."

"But two kids in as many days?" Ron exclaimed. "Who knows how many other bloody bastards there are out there! Will he be as good when having a child isn't such a novelty? I'm sure having another one has already halved the attention he gives her. Imagine what it'll be like in a week from now."

She got up off the side of his bed and headed for the door. "See you tomorrow morning Ronald." But his words whizzed through her head all night, keeping her awake. When she finally did sleep, it was fitfully.

* * *

Seeing a feminine figure in his doorway through the darkness, Draco rolled over and groaned out "leave me alone you demon woman." He'd been lying awake for hours, tossing and turning as the events of the past couple of days battered at him. When he'd first discovered Abi was his daughter he'd collapsed into bed that night exhausted and more satisfied than he'd ever felt. It was like a puzzle piece finally sliding into place. When Astoria has shown up, again he'd been tired, this time from having to deal with her again, and trying to sort through the shards of what little he knew to work out what was going on. Now voices whispered in his head. Should he trust his ex-fiancée? It was too large a coincidence, what was the Weasel doing here? What had happened between he and Granger? Why had he reacted so aggressively? He hadn't treated Pothead that way.

The woman in the doorway shifted uncomfortably and turned to go. "Sorry. Guess I'll see you in the morning."

Sitting up, he realised his mistake. "Granger? No, stay. I didn't realise it was you." She froze, halfway pivoted away from him, but then pushed the door gently so that it was only slightly ajar. She came to sit on the end of the bed, as far away as possible, her back literally pressed against the footboard. If there was a desk in here, he supposed she would have sat at that, but he refused to have any such furniture in the room, knowing he would only keep working at it constantly if he did. He was a workaholic, and needed to separate the parts of his life- it was a lot easier with all of them here. In fact; he hadn't done anything at all for the company since he visited Potter. "How can I help you?" He asked her, smoothing down his hair reflexively. It was sure to be standing up- but why would she care?

"What do you think of Ron now?" She whispered, and he studied her for a moment, knowing he'd need to measure this response. It felt like a test, and he wasn't sure what the punishment would be if he got it wrong.

"I'll admit... he's not my favourite person." He shrugged. "I'm sure the feeling's mutual. I'm surprised you invited him back here, it sounds as though you two grew irrevocably apart."

"I thought so too," she said mournfully, but then her tone became more hopeful. "I think he's grown up. Somewhat at least. That's important to me..." he dipped his head, wondering if she knew what he'd done earlier. She was incredibly smart, she must know. She'd given him a disapproving look when she'd sat down at the tea room table, but perhaps he'd misinterpreted it. Granger was fairly blunt; case in point, "how many women have you slept with?"

He was glad the room was dark because he didn't want her to see him blushing, rather clearly pink against his pale skin. "I, uh." He paused. "Is this about Weasley? Did he tell you something?"

"What is there to tell?" She questioned like a police interrogator.

"Nothing!" He exclaimed, then lowered his voice, not sure which person in the house he'd hate to wake up and listen to this conversation the most. He huffed out a breath. "Yes, I was with a lot of girls at school. But I would have known if they got pregnant, and Astoria's the last woman I slept with. She sort of turned me off women."

Granger raised an eyebrow. "That must have been a couple of years ago."

"Yep," he nodded. "Playboy Draco Malfoy hasn't played the game in a while. Outrageous," he said in his best impression of that Skeeter parasite, and was a little surprised when she snorted in amusement. "What about you?"

"Me?" She pointed to herself in surprise.

"Only deal it out if you can take it too."

She looked as though she'd argue for a moment but then she shrugged. "Fair enough. Just you."

"Just me in school or just me after the war?"

"Just you," she repeated, and he blinked, embarrassed he'd asked. He didn't want her to think he thought any less of her for that, or that he was laughing at her. "It's not exactly easy to date with a child. Ginny persistently set me up on a couple of dates after Abi got out of the terrible twos and I had slightly less on my hands, but the knowledge always set them running, and I put it out there straight away because she's my priority. I can't be with someone who won't take her too."

Draco frowned. "Why wouldn't anyone take her? She's perfect."

He could see her smile faintly in the darkness. "You have to think that; you're her father."

"No doubt about that. At all. Nil." He smirked in a teasing way, and she shoved him, but not in an overly aggressive way, and he saw that she was still smiling too.

* * *

When Hermione came down to breakfast, she was surprised to see Ron talking to Astoria. The two kids were also at the table, although they weren't paying any attention to the adults, and neither were they attempting conversation with them. The conversation trailed off as she took her seat. "Don't pay me any attention," she said, grabbing a Danish jam pastry. "Though I am curious what you two could have in common."

Ron faltered, as if ashamed, but the blonde woman tossed her locks behind her and arched a confident smile. "Ronny was telling me about his travels. I've been living in Barcelona myself for the last couple of years."

Ronny? She shook that off. "So you moved away as soon as you found out you were pregnant? To keep Malfoy away from the baby?"

Sniffling, Astoria said, "I didn't know when I left. But when I found out I decided it would be best to raise him alone rather than here, where his father was struggling."

"Couldn't you just hold out? I'm sure that's why you're back now, because the company's rejuvenated. Surely you knew it would return to that point in time. And anyway, money isn't as important in parenting as love."

"I didn't mean financially struggling-"

Astoria was interrupted as the man they were speaking of finally entered the room with a loud cough. "Sorry I'm so late," he said in a slightly hoarse voice. "Trouble sleeping." She surveyed him. What, if not financially, could 'struggling' mean? "I'm afraid I have a deadline today and I'm going to have to seclude myself for a couple of hours." Abi pouted, but before she could complain he added the caveat, "I have a big plan for the afternoon though, so everyone clear your schedules for that."

"Everyone?" Asked Ron, he'd been so quiet that she'd forgotten he was there. With only the slightest of pauses, Malfoy nodded.

* * *

They spent the morning scattered throughout the house. Hermione went off to the library to read with Abi for an hour or so before her ex boyfriend wandered in open mouthed. "This place is like that maze Harry 'ad to get through in Fourth Year." Chuckling in agreement, she watched him collapse into a bean bag next to her. "Y'know, I was a bit of a jealous prick when I was mad at him back then. Just the same as I was with you for the past few years." The smile slid off her face and she glanced at her daughter, disliking talking about the negativity in the past around her, but Abi was utterly engrossed in an illustrated edition of Beauty and the Beast that was possibly too advanced in its flowery descriptions, but she suspected the vibrant moving pictures filled in the blanks.

"Yeah," she agreed simply. "He hasn't really spoken about you for a long time. Is that just not to hurt me to think about you?"

He shook his head. "When he found out what I did to you he called me a tosser, and was way too emotional for a magical duel so he just attacked me with his fists." He turned his head to the side and pointed out where the bruises had been, and the broken jaw! "Does thinking about me hurt?" Ron was usually transparent, but there was something odd in his tone she couldn't quite pinpoint.

"Of course. We were best friends. The three of us went through so much together. I sort of felt like we we were a hydra, except when your head was cut off it never grew back." She could tell the metaphor was lost on him, so she quickly moved on. "I'll always love you."

He made a little pained sound in the back of his throat and began to lean forward, but at that moment a fast moving mass thrust up a hand in between them and yanked on her arm. "Mummy! Mummy! Look! The prince looks like Daddy!"

She threw the book into their faces, and Ron squinted, "Can't say I see it myself." And neither could Hermione, but she felt a bittersweet pang anyway. Abi was beginning to see Malfoy as her hero. It would have been selfish if she thought only she could be the good presence in her life, but at the same time she couldn't shake off the worry that he would leave, and every second spent building up trust would only hurt Abi more in the end. Was struggling. That implied he wasn't anymore, right?

* * *

Both of the kids shrieked in delight as he covered their eyes with one big hand each. He looked back at the adults. "I expect you all to keep your eyes shut without any help." Three distinct eyerolls. His children were each on a knee, and he was thankful he didn't need a hand free like you did to enter Diagon Alley as he nodded to the security guard stationed by the entrance, and the man in turn used his wand to guide their boat through what looked like an unmovable stone wall. Rivulets swirled around them in majestic water sculptures held together by magic rather than gravity. The waterfalls everywhere hissed as nympths dove down them with delighted giggles. "Open!" He called, and basked in the gasps from everyone, even the most unimpressed among them. Dressed in a watery blue formal dress and a droplet like tiara, a benevolent goddess emerged from behind a sculpture.

"Welcome to my grand opening." She inclined her head to the woman in the back of their boat with that same facial structure and shiny hair. "Sister." They stepped out of their boat to allow those behind them to enter, and between them, Daphne and Draco explained the passion project he'd helped her turn into an actuality- a magical water park. They strolled along the floating village which bobbed up and down on the water, well, the kids jumped, as Granger excitedly asked questions about the mechanics of it all, and Astoria why her sister would spend a portion of her inheritance on this. Weasley was rather like a child himself, and ran off to take Abi on a ride. Of course Granger insisted on going with her, and they returned with a picture that didn't just move but also made noise, of the Gryffindor woman holding her tightly, whilst the Weasel's mouth hung open releasing an amusingly high pitched scream.

While they were gone, Astoria and Daphne exchanged a conversation with uncomfortably long pauses, and Draco gladly took the opportunity to go change Scorpius's nappy. They were trying to get him out of them, but it seemed the best to have them for trips. It occurred to him partway through the process that he had no clue how to change a nappy, so he was more than grateful when Granger knocked on the toilet door, saying they'd told her which direction he'd gone, and she suspected it had been too long. She clapped as Scorpius laughed when she finished. It was a relief for the crying to stop. "I miss that."

"Changing nappies?"

"No," she wiggled the toddler's legs in the air and spoke in a baby voice. "Being exhausted and fed up and ready to quit- and then they'll do something tiny, and you'll know you've witnessed something as magnificent as a solar eclipse or the Big Bang, and you'll think, why did I ever doubt this?" A small line marred his forehead thinking of the milestones he'd missed, but she noticed it regardless of its size. "Sorry. Was that insensitive?"

"Oh. No," he shook his head. "I still have plenty of firsts to experience."

"We'll get to the nappy eventually," she teased, lifting up Scorpius. When they returned to the rest of the group, Astoria looked mildly put out to see the Gryffindor holding her child, but Aunt Daphne reached out for her nephew and the Weasel grabbed Granger's arm, babbling about a ride he couldn't possibly go on without her. A strange anxiety briefly overcame him, worrying that his fears had been founded, but it dissipated when Abi ran towards him shrieking "Daddy! They have an underwater Merry-go-round! Will you take me?" She'd never called him Daddy before, a first already. He'd been right; there was plenty to come.

_**AN: Plenty to come TOGETHER, let's hope!**_


	6. Chapter 6

**_Chapter 6:_**

Woken by Abi who'd had a nightmare, Hermione took her daughter downstairs for a warm glass of milk, the cure she always gave her back home. Droopy eyed, Abi sat down on a stool in the kitchen as Hermione struggled against the couple of house elves they'd accidentally woken to be allowed to heat the milk herself. Her quest successful, she took her daughter back upstairs, but pushed Abi ahead into her bedroom, saying she'd just be a a moment. A little light shone underneath Astoria's door and she thought she could hear muffled conversation. Wishing she had an extendable ear right now, Hermione leant against the wall and shut her eyes, trying her best to focus all her senses into the auditory.

"...just doesn't...as much as he does about that..."

"You...how I feel about the git, but he does seem to..." She nearly feel away from the wall as she recognised her school best friend's voice. What was he doing in there?

"...hope so." Astoria again. "Your horse in this race is just as big as mine."

Sensing that the conversation was at an end, Hermione darted into her daughter's room before someone could find her snooping, but as she sat on the covers reading until Abi fell asleep, her mind wouldn't stop whirling. The splintered pieces of conversation were entirely incomplete, but the one thing that was certain was that the two new arrivals were hiding a shared secret. Naturally, one she intended to discover the full extent of.

* * *

At the breakfast table, Granger picked up a fork to spear a piece of grapefruit, but it felt like it was meant for his heart as she announced, "I was thinking Ron and I could take Abi to the Burrow today. Then you two could bond with Scorpius as a pair." Was she insinuating that the Weasleys were his daughter's true family? Yes; they'd been a part of her life, but Weasel himself certainly hadn't. Surely they wanted to meet the true father? Why did he care so much about going to that hovel? Probably because he didn't want to spend the day with She-Devil.

Of course, she leapt right onto the suggestion. "We could visit your parents Drake!"

"I'm not sure that's the best idea," he said in a monotone. "My father may or may not have attempted to put a hit on you after what you did to me." She blushed, and he left her wondering whether or not that was true.

She was undeterred, he'd give her that. "My parents then. My mother always liked you."

"And your father?"

"Just wanted me to be best cared for." Scorpius let out a hungry shriek, and Draco fed him some mushed up mango. Granger and Weasley were discussing their plans, so he supposed it was already decided for him. He was spending the day with his ex, whether he wanted to or not.

* * *

When they arrived at the Burrow Hermione and her daughter were swarmed with embraces as per usual, but the atmosphere abated as the family drew back to study their prodigal son. "You've apologised to Hermione?" Asked George, breaking the silence. Since his twin's passing and the birth of his own pair, he sometimes had more solemn moments, but she'd never seen him like this. On edge. Wanting to be given the chance for acceptance, but cautious.

Ron locked his eyes on hers. "Profusely." There was deep genuinity in them; in that moment it was impossible to believe he was hiding anything.

"Thank Godric!" Harry exclaimed, and burst forward to embrace his best friend in a tight grip, despite his wife's warning that he wouldn't get another chance, she too joined the hug. Molly let out a relieved sigh of happiness, and Hermione smiled at her, thrilled for the woman that her family was whole again, but she did have ulterior motives for the move. She hoped that after spending a day ensconced with his family, away from Astoria's influence, Ron would realise what he'd missed and never again wanted to lose- and who he should really trust.

Ron's siblings introduced him to his nieces and nephews, and the crew swarmed him, always excited to see a new face. Abi acted the part of big cousin to introduce each of them in descending age order, whilst Hermione mostly watched. Everyone was lavishing attention on Ron, fairly enough, and she thought that if feeling this amount of love didn't make him split from Astoria's team, he must be truly lost.

* * *

"Lovely to see you again," Lady Greengrass pronounced in an eloquent voice that could have either been extremely respectful or incredibly mocking. He'd always struggled to understand her. Her husband was much easier; wearing his disdain or satisfaction like paint across his face. Right now he was forcing a smile that seemed to want to reconcile their past, and well he should. He'd made a mistake encouraging his daughter to leave him rather than go down with the ship. There had been some rough waters but ultimately he had surpassed his original destination and he was now the most eligible bachelor in the country, famous and wealthy- what more could Phineas want for his youngest? The problem was that Draco himself was no longer wholly interested.

He spent most of the dinner interacting with Astoria's child as opposed to her parents, despite the jabs she gave him under the table. When they left, she turned to him, the toddler in her arms. "What can I do for you to take me back?"

He looked at her properly for the first time that day. "Take you-?" He shook his head in confusion.

"We can do this," she said, taking his hand, and for a moment he saw what he used to in her. But then he shook his head.

"You're the one who was cheating on me. You ended this relationship. If you'd let me, I would have loved you all my life."

Her face crumpled up. "Drake... I wish I'd never done that."

"I'm not sure that's true," he muttered, and headed back to his office.

* * *

It was an idyllic day, complete with barbecuing with his father and an invite from George to come check out the joke shop later in the week. After they said goodbye to the other Weasleys they headed a little away to apparate home. Abi was taking her time saying goodbye to her cousins, which was unplanned but the perfect excuse. As they watched from a distance, Hermione said to Ron, "isn't it great to know that no matter how much time has passed or how any disagreements in the past, everything can still return to the mean?... To normal," she clarified, seeing his expression.

He nodded. "There's a lotta' difference- but there's always been a lot of us Weasleys, and this just feels like a, uh, natural extension."

She smiled, squeezing his hand. "Exactly. You can always go home." She prepared to launch into her prepared speech about how he hadn't lost anything, he didn't need to fear that he had and take any extreme measures to get back what he might think he'd lost, but then he leant in and kissed her. For a moment she was so shocked she didn't do anything at all, but then her instincts kicked in with a scream that this wasn't right at all. She hadn't known much different back when she'd first kissed him, but now she realised this wasn't what it was supposed to be like. She remembered that night at Hogwarts before the terrible aftermath. Yes, that was what she wanted to feel, even if maybe she shouldn't. Pushing him away with both hands, Hermione was vaguely aware that her eyes were somewhat insultingly disturbed looking, as if her soul had been sucked out by a dementor rather than the only somewhat sloppy exchange she'd had in reality. It was the confusion in her best friend's eyes that told her that, and she let out a few quick marathon runner's breaths before they slowed and she started to speak, only to be interrupted midway through her sentence.

"But I left you," the perplexity was clearer than the water she'd looked at him through at Daphne's park. "You wanted to be together. You told me that when I left."

"I think I-" she faltered. "This might sound selfish, but this was before I became a mother. I wanted stability, safety. That's what you've always represented to me."

"I can still give you that!" He proclaimed excitedly, as if understanding that it had just been a misunderstanding and they were really on the same page. "The three of us in a cosy house. At parties with my family every week! I can give you two what he can't! It could be perfect 'Mione!" He grabbed her wrist excitedly and she yelled out in pain as it clamped onto her. The others glanced over and he immediately released her, apologising, but she just took Abi's hand as her daughter reappeared. "Mione wait!" He stretched out an arm, but she fixed her gaze on him coldly.

"Run back to Greengrass Ron." Confusion, and then sudden realisation. He opened his mouth, but she didn't hear what he said as the surroundings faded from pastoral to seaside.

* * *

"Do you want to talk about it?" Granger turned around from her position cross legged on the piano bench. It was dark and everyone else had gone to sleep, or so he presumed. She'd come home alone with no explanation, and they hadn't gathered for an evening meal, just had food sent to their own individual rooms. He padded over in his dressing gown and slippers.

"You know you look like a ridiculous Golden Age star, right?" She said blandly.

"You mean a blinding Golden Age star," he corrected, tossing the hair that had once been his pride and joy. He had it on good authority that plenty of women still salivated over it. His friends knew how to cheer him up. "What happened with Weasley?"

"Now or then?" He gave her a look that said 'full story', so she launched into it. Their brief period dating right after his own night with her. The Weasel weaselling his way out of the relationship and hurting her in the process. Her seeing him with Draco's own ex. Her attempt to confront him and how it failed.

"Can I?" He asked. She nodded, so he sat down beside her on the stool and carefully pushed back the sleeve of her pyjama top; he'd thought it was strange she was wearing one rather than a vest in this heat, but assumed it was just the old prudish Granger. Even though he shouldn't have assumed, he knew better than that now. Hissing out a breath, he saw a faint pink mark around her wrist. "Why haven't you gotten rid of it?"

It wouldn't last too long if allowed to heal it naturally, but she could of course remove it quicker. She was one of the most skilled magic users he knew. "To remind myself maybe I shouldn't trust so freely and absolutely when someone's shown me their true colours."

Draco glided his fingers along the piano keys. "I play when I'm upset. It clears my mind." For a minute or so the only noise was pure. Her eyes shut, and he glanced across at her, quickly looking away when she opened them so as not to get caught.

"I always wanted to learn a musical instrument, but I threw myself into my studies, and every time I wasn't revising I felt stressed out. Like I should be."

"I had the same fear of being unproductive," he admitted. "But this isn't unproductive. And I'm a firm believer that you can pick up a new skill at any age."

"Even as a mother?"

"Even then," he agreed, and carefully took her hands, positioning them in the right place. "There. That's a C. You'll be a pro in no time." Smiling, she bit her lip and dipped her head, hiding behind her hair again. He wanted to reach out and look behind it, but he restrained himself and waited for her to push it back.

"Thank you. That relaxed me."

He nodded in response, and they bade each other goodnight, unaware of the utter lack of relaxation they would feel in the morning.

**_AN: Foreboding much? Also, thank you guys for 100 followers, even you lurkers!_**


	7. Chapter 7

**_Chapter 7:_**

Astoria didn't show up to breakfast, or lunch, and they assumed she'd just slept in, but nevertheless, Malfoy went up to feed his son so the child didn't starve.

"Granger!" He called out in an odd tone, and Hermione surveyed her daughter for a moment.

"Stay there. Saffy will tell me if you sneak down to the kitchen to replace your fruit with sweets." The house elf nodded firmly like an army commander and gave Abi the universal signal for 'I'm watching you'.

Hermione headed upstairs for the toddler's room, blinking briefly before she went inside. Her eyes still felt wet from last night; they'd split up and eaten alone rather than all gathering. After she'd put Abi to bed she'd used her time alone to have a good sob; she hadn't wanted to do so in front of anyone in the house and certainly not in front of Ron. Then she'd gone downstairs, where she'd met him, giving her enough peace of mind to get some shut eye after they'd spoken. She rounded the corner to see Malfoy jogging Scorpius up and down, a panicked expression on his face. He was holding him in a way that looked paradoxically tight and as if he were about to drop him. She held out her arms to take him and Malfoy handed him over slowly, muttering "she's gone." Hermione stroked Scorpius's hair back, pressing her lips softly to his head, her eyes peering over him. "Astoria. She's gone. Just like last time." Malfoy's skin took on a pale sweaty sheen. She picked up the baby food from the bedside table to feed Scorpius.

"Are you sure?" He pointed at the toddler, and, confused, she turned him around and started when she saw that his eyes were no longer grey but instead a distinctive bright blue. Malfoy stepped out of the room without a word, and she assumed she should follow him. In the corridor she found a house elf, offering to take the child. Thankful, she nodded and followed Malfoy into Astoria's room. Never having been inside, for some reason she expected powder pink pouffe's and a Hollywood-esque dressing table, but of course, Astoria wasn't a full time resident either, and apparently hadn't been planning to become one. The room looked just the same as her own, except that the cupboards and drawers were all completely empty. There were ghost food wrappers and used cotton buds to remove makeup in the bin, but no other sign that anyone had ever slept in this room. She must have left last night; the bed had evidently not been slept in.

It took Hermione a moment to realise that Malfoy had stormed out of the room. She chased behind him, pulling on flip flops as she hurried out of the back door, racing down the garden along the path that led to the beach, although she felt as though she were running through water, an icy cold fear like drowning in her stomach. A little of it unclenched when she saw that he wasn't in the sea but skimming stones, albeit more like chucking them aggressively. He was muttering about how Scorpius wasn't even his, why should he care about him at all, he'd just been loaded off on him. She didn't put her hand on his shoulder, he seemed a little too tense for that. Instead she called out his name, his real name. That caught his attention. "Draco," she said again, softer. "It doesn't matter that he's not blood related to you. You love him."

"But he's not mine," he muttered over and over. "He's not mine. She just foisted him off on me. This is what she always does. I knew she'd been cheating on me while we were together- of course he's not mine!" This last exclamation wasn't in a whisper but a roar as he chucked a whole handful of stones into the water, making a ginormous splash. For a moment she stood in silence, watching his chest heave, then he turned around and she saw the tears in his eyes. "He's not mine."

"Yes he is," she told him firmly. "Look at your reaction. You want this. Be honest with yourself. You want a child you can watch grow up, and I made you miss the start with Abi." She took a step closer. "I wouldn't be pushing this if I didn't think you wanted it, but I know you see him as yours now. You're not like Astoria. I think it would hurt you more to let him go now." He took a shaky breath, and she took another step. "It's certainly a huge responsibility to take on, but you won't be alone. For the first time yesterday, when I was with Ron, I thought 'I want to go home'. I thought of this place; as you and Scorpius, as home." This fully captured his attention. He seemed utterly shocked, and she honestly was too. She'd had no idea where that thought had come from, but at some point things had changed. This was no longer somewhere she was trapped but a place where she wanted to be. "We'll have to reassess in September when Abi's supposed to start school, but for now I'm staying here, I'll help you."

Malfoy dropped the remaining stones in his hand to the floor and nodded.

* * *

A few weeks passed before Draco had the art of nappy changing down, but once he got it he was pretty sure he could win an Olympic medal for his speed. Just as he managed to do it, Scorpius naturally became practically potty trained. It was rather frustrating, and he joked that they should get another baby for him to showcase his skills on, producing an awkward moment where they both had red cheeks at the unintended implication. There were awkward moments like that, but it was nevertheless the best month of his life living in peace as a family of four, seeing how much his children developed in so short a time period. Unfortunately it couldn't last forever.

He genuinely hadn't meant to, but one afternoon he wandered into Granger's room without knocking to ask her if she wanted to come on a walk, and found her angrily snatching a letter from an owl by her window. She grabbed her wand and began to exclaim "incendio!" Before he darted forwards. "Woah, woah, woah! What are you doing? You haven't even opened that!"

She spun around, hiding the envelope behind her back unsuccessfully. "It's my business," she snapped. "And I know I don't want to know what he's written. Any of the millions he's sent me."

He? Ah. Draco paused. "Allow me to be your therapist rather than the other way around for once. It doesn't seem that your current method is really helping you deal with this, and it doesn't seem it's going to stop anytime soon." She shifted on her feet, looking as though she didn't want to admit it, but he did have a point. "How about we open this together, read through it, and write a response. You can either mail it or burn it, we can decide later. The main point is to get the feelings out."

Sighing, she bit her lip, pulling the letter back out to stare at. "That's a pretty good idea," she admitted. "I wouldn't think you'd have enough understanding of your own emotions to think of something like that." She stuck out her tongue, but she had a fair point.

"My mother told me to do it after Astoria left the first time."

"She sounds like a smart woman," said Granger. It was incredibly odd to hear her praising any Malfoy, even after their month together.

He agreed. "She can't wait to meet you, whenever you're ready."

She chuckled. "Maybe I'll be able to find the nerve after I get over this hurdle. It can't be much worse, right?"

He smiled encouragingly, watching as she opened the envelope, her hands trembling a little. It almost made him feel bad, but he hoped this would help her. Nevertheless, he held his breath as she read the words. Her expression shifted from nervous to frustrated, then an odd confusion. Suddenly shock covered her face, and she threw the letter into his hands, pointing to a sentence nearer the bottom that was on a topic he'd rank far below impossible on a list of ones the Weasel would discuss in an apology. It was an admittance that he had been working with Astoria, but no longer was. To prove it, he told them that Draco's ex was the one who had sent the Dark wizards after his company. Weasel said he'd thought it was harmless, a little reconnaissance to find out where Draco was and if he would be a good father, so he'd worked with her to get what they both wanted, but now Potter had apparently told him the extent of the damage and he realised it lined up with what Astoria had said.

Granger called out to Flinter to look after the children, then she grabbed his hand. He glanced down at it in confusion. "Come on then," she announced. "Let's go get to the bottom of this."

* * *

They apparated into Harry's home; she needed to take Draco by hand as the wards allowed her in but of course they didn't extend to him. When they appeared in the house, she was surprised that the first person she saw wasn't any usual member of the Potter household, but Ron. He'd been perched somewhat awkwardly on the edge of a sofa, as if he felt he shouldn't be there, but when she popped in front of him he leapt up in surprise, crying out her name. He started trying to apologise again, but Malfoy held up a hand. "Heartwrenching as this is, I'd like some more information," he held up the letter to show Ron, and the ginger glanced briefly between them.

"Of course." She stood uncomfortably for a moment, fidgeting. She'd always been like this in high stress situations, but more recently she'd managed to get it under control. It was easier when she had something to do, like when she'd set her mind to helping the wounded after the Battle of Hogwarts rather than contemplating the losses. So when Ron mentioned that he needed a record of the thefts from Draco's company, she leapt on the opportunity, checking with him that they were in his office, and he gave her directions to the correct compartment in his desk. Ron seemed to take this personally, so she paused, thankful for Malfoy's sigh but tact to go speak to Harry, who'd appeared, wiping food off his son's face. "I know you're still upset with me, but you should know I wasn't ever with Astoria or anything. I just wanted to be with you."

She felt almost bad at the sad tone to his voice. "I don't think we could ever work out. But if you help us with this, I think I can forgive you." She offered him a small smile, turning over her shoulder to see Malfoy staring. He quickly averted his eyes, but she just chuckled a little, and hearing that, he looked back at her, his eyes dancing.

* * *

The papers in her hands, Hermione decided to quickly go check on the kids. She was nearly at their door, but had a feeling as if someone was following her. Years in this world had taught her never to doubt her instincts. She spun around to see a familiar blonde grinning maniacally. "Hi skank."

Someone hit her on the head from behind and she crumpled to the floor.

**_AN: Uh-oh..._**


	8. Chapter 8

**_Chapter 8_**

Hermione awoke to a hand slapping her face repeatedly. A familiar shrill voice was berating someone for hitting her too hard, saying they didn't have enough time for this. She could hear rustling; they were in Malfoy's office and another man was pillaging his desk. Once she noticed the girl tied to the chair was conscious, Astoria dropped the critique and crouched down to her, pouting. "Oh dear. Mangey Grangey looks a little pale." She twirled the wand she'd stolen from Hermione and placed it down on the desk, then put her hand out to touch Hermione's cheek; the Gryffindor tried to summon some wandless magic, but she was far too weak, her head still aching. "All you need to do to get free is tell us where Draco keeps his money. I know he has some here. He'd never fully trust Gringotts to keep it all in one place." She traced Hermione's wand teasingly up her leg, and the Gryffindor bit her tongue with great difficulty, trying to figure out what to do. That panic was gripping her senses again.

"You think he trusts me with that?"

"_You_ think I'm an idiot?" Astoria hissed, suddenly snapping the wand up to Hermione's throat. "I arrived one day after you, yet you had such a hold over him that he didn't even give me a chance!" She dissolved into manic laughter, throwing the wand back to one of her cronies, and pointing at Hermione like they were friends, as if to say, 'good one.' The man who'd been rummaging handed Astoria a knife, and with a wicked grin, she yanked up the sleeve on Hermione's shirt, the place where Bellatrix Le-psycho had carved into her. "Revelio," she hissed, and the words re-appeared. "You can posture and you can spray yourself with a whole bottle of perfume," the blonde spat out. "But this is what you'll always be; a filthy. Rotten. Mudblood." With the last biting insult she jabbed into Hermione's old wound and she couldn't help but let out a surprised and pained scream. Astoria released a sadistic grin. "Someone like that, barely even a someone, doesn't deserve a Pureblood prince like Drakey, or any child with my well-bred blood."

"Then why did you leave them both with me?" She asked through gritted teeth, trying not to lose control again. "It's not us who threw you out."

She gestured out the door. "What use is a lookout if he doesn't _look_ _out_? Someone go check Dane hasn't fallen onto his wand." One of the men scuttled out, and she returned her attention to Hermione's question. "Perhaps not literally but it was clear for anyone to see that he just wanted you. It's disgusting." She dragged the knife down through the wound, blood pouring down Hermione's arm so that her head began to spin. "If he'd taken me, things could have gone back to how they used to be. All I want is my old life back, but if he won't give it to me I'll take it myself. I can be enterprising. Now," Astoria leant I'm so close Hermione could feel her breath heavy against her own face. "Tell me where the hell it is bint. Stop taking things that don't belong to you or maybe I'll have to take something of yours. I hear five year olds' loyalty can be won over with a bag of sweets, or if not then a sharp rap on the behind." That jerked Hermione up, but before she could send any threat back, one of the men toppled onto Astoria and she fell to the floor with him. Hermione's eyes flew up only briefly, already closing, but she could see a glowing gold figure stretching out a benevolent arm.

* * *

Whilst Granger was gone, Draco was rather impressed with how well he managed to get on with the Weasel. They whittled their information down together to work out what was true and what was relevant while Potter fed his baby. When the Saviour was done he came over to them, glancing at a strange bracelet thing on his wrist. "How big is your office? Hermione's been gone for quite a while." The bracelet beeped and Potter tapped it, his face spiralling. "Malfoy; take us to your place right now." Draco pulled a face, which he was somewhat disturbed to see the Weasel was mirroring when he glanced across at the ginger. With an efficiency he'd never seen the Gryffindor display before, Potter explained that he'd sent an Auror after Astoria and she'd been located in Milan two days ago, but said Auror had just woken up after being knocked out. So Draco did something he never in a million years could have imagined, snatching both his ex-enemies by the hand and transporting them to the Manor. He would have loved to say that he completed the mission alone as effectively as the Bond guy whose movies Granger had introduced him to last week, but his companions were more effective than he'd thought possible, even the unpractised Weasel. They took out the men in grey, Potter quickly checking on the kids in their rooms and giving Draco a thumbs up to minutely relax him before they attacked the room murmurs were coming from. Anger surged up in him and he wanted to shoot Astoria herself with the curse, but one of her capos stepped in front of her, taking the death. He took three furious steps forwards towards her, pointing his wand down at her head, but Weasley grabbed him by the arm.

She glanced up at him through half shut lids. "Drake... how lovely to see you." His wand was shaking, the words trembling on his lips as his eyes blazed. He tried to shrug the ginger off of him, but he held on with surprising strength.

"I don't care about your stupid soft spot for her Red." He spat.

Weasley stepped slightly in front of him, making him look at him rather than his ex. "Don't do this Malfoy. Don't stoop to her low. I did and I've never regretted anything more. I promise you, it's not worth it." He jerked his head across the room and Draco reluctantly followed it, seeing Potter untying Granger. No matter how bad he wanted to destroy Astoria Greengrass, the Weasel was right, his focus shouldn't be her right now. He dropped his wand to his side, making her chuckle lowly, her eyes shutting. Potter moved over to arrest his ex while Draco swapped places with her, lifting Granger up, muttering that she would be fine, more to himself; she was out cold.

* * *

Weasley came to check on them four times, each one saying he just wanted to know if Granger was up, but Draco saw the way his eyes skated over him worriedly, and noticed the food he put down on the table, even if he didn't take enough notice to actually acknowledge what it was.

He didn't even realise his nails had cut into his palms until slightly calloused fingers uncurled them for him, making him look up, suddenly breathless, despite the fact that all he'd been doing for the last who knew how long was sitting rock still. "Hermione," He exhaled as though it were the name of a cure, hands moving to cup her face. Why had he never used the name before; it was exquisite. Her eyes snapped up to his, glimmering amber. It was what made her seem alive, so with her eyes shut she'd just looked wrong. He could easily imagine the life force was gone from her. She parted her lips slightly, and he couldn't stop himself. He clamboured onto the hospital bed to reach her, pressing his lips to hers as she exhaled into his mouth like she'd been holding her breath for five years. She twined her fingers in his curls, just as she'd done their first time, but this time he let his own do the same, twirling chestnut pieces with the gentility he'd show a diamond, yet she only pulled him in deeper, letting him know exactly the type of kiss she wanted. They'd only begun when there was a loud cough at the door. A nurse entered the room to check on Hermione's blood, struggling not to glance between them wide-eyed. Not to sound big-headed but everyone knew who they were, and Draco wouldn't blame him if by the end of the day there was a broad spread on The Daily Prophet. They were given the all-clear as while she'd been asleep, Hermione had had blood pouring back into her arm.

* * *

Apparently it had been a rush to St Mungo's so Draco hadn't packed anything. Draco... she had to be careful with that. Yes, he'd kissed her, but did that mean anything? She knew from experience that around him, you could never be sure. It was best to keep her guard up, but knowing she should didn't make it any easier. When the nurse left she turned back to him, finding his eyes already on her, wanting so badly to say something, but unsure what exactly. The door was pushed open again anyway, taking her chance. "Godric, 'Mione!" Reluctantly, she drew her eyes away from Dr-Malfoy to see Ron, genuine relief dripping from his features. What she'd always found wonderful about Ron was that he wore his emotions like a banner, unlike Malfoy, who'd always treated them more like valuables to box up. He dropped to his knees, and she clapped a hand over her mouth, a ridiculous giggle rising in her throat. There was such realness in his face that she felt horrible for behaving in such a way, but, to be fair, it was a rather over-dramatic gesture.

"Get off the floor you idiot! This is a magic hospital! You're probably kneeling in blood and guts!"

Despite himself, Ron glanced down as if to check, but he was shaking his head. "This is a bloody _hospital_," Malfoy snorted and he cast him a desultory look. "Pun intended." She had a feeling it wasn't, but she let him continue. "They scrub it every ten seconds. But the important thing is that I'm so completely, totally sorry."

Familiar warmth tickled her heart; she let it in. Squeezing his hand, she pulled him up, glad he came easily; she was still feeling fairly weak. "I told you, I'd work on forgiving you if you helped us catch Astoria, and that's exactly what you did."

"You mean it?"

She nodded, hugging him quickly. "Everyone makes mistakes Ron," she glanced at Malfoy, against her own wishes. "I should know." With the knowledge she now had of how great a father he was, she couldn't believe she'd purposefully kept him from his daughter for so long. But she hadn't known this Malfoy; only the selfish school bully who'd shoved her away after a brief tryst. "I know you wanted me back, but your intentions weren't malignant like hers."

He nodded eagerly, finally catching the way Malfoy was looking at her. "Uh, I'm gonna go meet Gin. Harry's doing some paperwork. You can, yeah, come pick the kids up whenever you're ready." He backed out of the room, and as soon as the door shut Malfoy began to wheeze! She thumped him on the arm, but she was repressing laughter as well!

"He *wheeze* does *wheeze* know *wheeze* completely *wheeze* and *wheeze* totally *wheeze* are *wheeze* synonyms!?" His face collapsed into her mattress, and she couldn't hold it in any longer, breaking down until there were tears in her eyes.

Malfoy pulled his head up, stopping laughing a moment before her. She trailed off, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear anxiously. His finger slowly glided up to her face, wiping a tear away from beneath her eye. "Am I upsetting you again?"

"No!" She exclaimed, then lowered her voice, feeling bad for how silly she sounded. "These are happy tears."

"Good," He tickled her cheek, eliciting a wide smile. "I've caused you enough pain."

"I think we're pretty even at this point." But the smile faltered. "Why did you though? Leave."

His hand was off her cheek now, but she got the feeling he was punishing himself rather than her. There was something self torturous in his expression. "I made a decision to turn against the Dark Lord, but that wasn't a magical moment that made me perfect, moral, light." He wasn't even looking at her, ashamed. "I'm still not. But I like to think I'm always improving. At that point though, I was still stuck in the headset that I was who I was, and you were who you were. Honestly, I couldn't have conceived of anything long term with someone like you, before that day, I doubt I could have conceived of anything short term." She expected to be insulted, but she just felt a sort of cold acceptance. Yes, she did remember that boy. "Maybe I couldn't even imagine a relationship with anyone. I was cold back then. Devoting myself to His service to protect my family had drained everything out of me. It was like you said, I wanted to feel something, I'd been cold for so long. I hadn't been with anyone since before all of that." He sighed. "Basically I was a prick. As I'm sure Weasley has often eloquently articulated."

She shrugged. "Once or twice. But I'm not sure anything's so black and white as that. I could be quite a villain sometimes too. Maybe together we can work on correcting all that."

"We can certainly try," he agreed, with a hopeful smile.

* * *

Fabian's eyebrow furrowed when a creature flew up to his bedroom window. He clapped to scare it away, but the abominable boney thing sat stoically, as if it belonged on his sill. Narrowing his eyes, Fabian slowly stepped over, noticing as he got closer that it had something in its claws. When he was only a stride away the bird held out its arm as if to say, 'come along, I'm on a timetable.' Feeling like a loon, Fabian took the envelope as though from another human, although he doubted they would have bitten him, perhaps _she_ would have. Seeming pleased that it had caused him pain, the bird finally flew away. Shaking his head in confusion, Fabian pulled the letter out of its casing, then balled it up in seconds, anger flaring in his eyes. It was only four words, and they branded into his mind in seconds.

_Avenge_ _me_, _my_ _love._


	9. Chapter 9

_**Chapter 9:**_

It had been a relatively peaceful afternoon reading in the library until Draco found her, pulling her on top of him with a shriek of delight that rather contradicted her complaints that she was halfway through a page, and he was going to disfigure it. She rationalised that it wasn't exactly a five star read anyway, and allowed herself to fully commit, tossing the book to the floor and progressing to tongue. He let out a moan that could have been either her name or 'pie and peas'; call her a romantic but she preferred to imagine it was the former, no matter how delicious the chip shop delicacy was.

Draco might say he hadn't gotten much practise during the war period or after Astoria, but she knew he still had far more than her. She didn't mind, after all it benefited her as he swirled his tongue expertly, but she did wish she had more herself so she knew she was doing well for him. Regardless, based on the noises ge was making, she was going to guess he was sufficiently pleased. In fact it was he who was praising her breasts, her lips, her skin, when a little voice shrieked excitedly "SCORBY! I KNEW IT! MUMMY AND DADDY ARE KISSING!" Mortified, Hermione tumbled off of her boyfriend and ran over. She glanced back at Draco, who shrugged as if to say 'what can you do?' And she couldn't help but feel calmer seeing the edge of amusement in his eyes. He reached down to lift up Abi and she did the same to Scorpius, who had waddled in, beaming from ear to ear. "Are you getting married?" Asked Abi as though she'd just been handed a sack full of sweets and was gorging on them.

Scorpius was rocking around on her lap as well, vibrating with energy. "Wedding!" He cheered. Abi had made him play Bride and Groom with her yesterday.

"Guys," Hermione said, trying to still the toddler, although she knew that would be a difficult job, and these words were going to have to be more for Abi's benefit. "Mummy and Daddy love you both so much and that's the most important thing."

"Now you love each other too!" Abi shook Draco's hands, which she was holding, with excitement. "Like it should be!"

Upon hearing the L word he glanced at her, then quickly away again. "We don't quite love each other yet." Abi's eyebrow furrowed, and Scorpius's lip began to tremble. Hermione shot Draco a look to speed up before the jenga tower fell back. "When grown-ups start dating, they don't instantly fall in love. Dating love isn't the same as parent love." He tickled Abi, trying to gain her back. She was resisting, holding in the laughter. "When I met you two I loved you both immediately, like you were parts of me, but Mummy and I have to get to know each other." Scorpius was still entirely perplexed and sniffling, but at least he wasn't screaming. Abi, though, was coming around. She'd always been emotionally and intellectually mature.

"Maybe one day we'll get to that point," Hermione added. "But you guys are our biggest concern. So are you okay with that?"

"Mm-mess-oh..." Abi mumbled. Translation: (roughly) I guess so. Scorpius looked up at her, and Hermione kissed him softly on the forehead, rocking him against her chest. "How long will it take?"

Hermione chuckled, but Draco cut his eyes across to her. "Well, since you guys know about us now, I was thinking we could go out on our first date tonight."

They hadn't been on one yet because they hadn't wanted to leave the kids alone, and they thought they'd get suspicious. Abi grinned, her enthusiasm restored. "Eek! What are you going to do? Disney Land?"

"Don't put me to shame kiddo," Draco jabbed her jokily in her side and she giggled.

"Petting reindeers?"

Hermione leaned across to point at her accusingly. "You know you're not coming on this right?" Scorpius started spurting out possibilities that didn't make much sense either, and they all giggled; a huge weight off her chest to know it was going to be okay.

* * *

She spent the afternoon trying to sort out a babysitter, despite Draco's protests that they would be fine with the elves. She wasn't fully comfortable with that, no matter how helpful they were, so she sent messages to the Potters, Weasleys, even Ron. Somehow everyone was busy, and she ended up in an argument with her boyfriend about it. They kept trying to lower their voices so the kids didn't hear, and eventually she gave in. "What should I wear?" She asked, trying to force it aside and move on, although her tone was still a little acidic, despite her best efforts. "Mouse ears for Paris or puffer coat for Lapland?"

He smirked. "Just a nice dress. Don't bring a jacket; that way if you're cold I can give you mine." She rolled her eyes, but the anger was fading quickly, whether she wanted to let it go or not.

* * *

They kissed the kids goodnight, although it seemed they might be up for a while buzzing with excitement, then headed out. "Are we walking?" She asked. Her shoes weren't as bad as Astoria's had been that time, and it wasn't so muddy anymore, but if they were taking a hike she might want to go change into trainers.

"Actually..." He turned to the right, one hand still in hers, but the other clicking something, and she saw an entirely normal looking blue car, so completely out of place that her mouth dropped open.

"You can't even drive!" She exclaimed.

He clapped a hand to his chest. "I'm still a Malfoy, no matter how much personal development I may have undergone. If we're going to take muggle transport, we will be driven!" That made her notice that the driver's seat was already taken. A chauffeur driven Chevy, how very modern. "M'lady," he offered her his arm and she gladly took it.

* * *

Sweat crawled on his skin as they made their way down the hill. He knew she thought of him as a Casanova, but right now, he wasn't sure he'd ever been more nervous. He couldn't help but want this long-coming first date to be perfect. Hopefully she hadn't noticed his insecurity; she didn't seem to have anyway, alternating between glancing out the window at the picturesque scene below and smiling at him. When they arrived at the location, he held his breath for a long moment, unable to see her expression, until she turned around and he identified that it was wonder. He'd found an old style cinema created in the 1920s and still decked out in the same way. Until they'd taken the kids to the other (more modern) nearby cinema, Draco had never actually been to one, but he understood that clean mirrored slickness was the rule and this the exception. "This is perfect!" Hermione declared, pulling him inside, his fears evaporating.

* * *

It was perfect: every wonderful cliche she'd never gotten to experience in her teenage years. They shyly brushed fingers on the seat-rest; held hands in the popcorn; made out in the back row. At the end of the film an eldely woman at the front who'd turned around a couple of times made an exaggerated eye roll. Hermione blushed, but burst into laughter as the old dear tottered away, giving them a thumbs up!

They left the cinema and it was a little chilly, so she accepted his jacket, that came with a wink. He asked if she wanted to go on to a bar, and she bit her lip, glancing up the hill without even knowing she was doing it. "Oh phew," he said with immense relief. "I thought I should offer, but I really want to get back to the kids."

"Me too!" She beamed. "We'll table that for now, but next time."

"Next time." He agreed excitedly and called the car around. They chatted the whole way home, he was a lot more lively than he'd been on the way down, thanked their driver and emerged from the car with their arms around each other. Laughing, they both shushed each other as they got back into the house, feeling drunk on happiness even though neither had had a drop. Their laughter petered out when they spotted Finky collapsed on the stairs. Draco rushed over to his childhood nurse, shaking her, his voice panicked. Gently, Hermione pushed him aside and checked the pulse, still strong. They moved her onto a sofa and raced upstairs, practically falling over each other. Doors shoved open, she at Abi's, he at Scorpius's. Hermione felt angry tears in her eyes as she turned around from the empty room with the unslept in bed to see her boyfriend with a note in his fist.

* * *

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," Draco muttered over and over. "Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid." He felt like he was in a massive oven, his skin heating up way past the temperature he'd ever thought he could take. And yet he was shivering. Hermione was trying to drape his jacket back around his arms, but his body threw it off every time. It was all his fault, how could he have been such a prick: fingers in ears, la-la-la-la-la-ing?

"It's not your fault," she whispered, placing a soft kiss on his forehead. It wasn't passionate, but it was calming and wonderful. "I was foolish. It wouldn't have changed much if we'd gotten a human babysitter, they could quite well still have been taken out. Even more harm than we're facing now. Whoever this 'Fabian' is, he seems quite dedicated." She placed her face in her palms, scrunching up her eyes briefly. "You've never heard his name before? Astoria didn't mention him?"

"I think that's the most understandable of the things she didn't tell me. Don't know if I'd have wanted to know about a male mistress."

Hermione shook her head. "I don't understand her. How could she pretend to want a family when she already had one. What is her endgame?"

"Who knows?" Draco shrugged. "Don't waste your time trying to figure that psycho out. Let's just focus on her paramour. Who's actually not in custody."

* * *

They met him on the hill he requested the next morning at dawn. Their eyes had been shutting, but as soon as they saw a Spanish man emerge from a limousine with a child in each arm, they both instinctively jerked forwards. He took a step back, a warning expression. "Don't step any closer." Reluctantly, they stayed still. "Where is my Astoria?" Draco turned around to the car behind them, opening the door and dragging the familiar figure out. She spat at the ground, before seeing Fabian and calling out his name. The Spaniard stepped closer, his eyes narrowed. "What is better: a rose with or without thorns?" He waited a few seconds, then shook his head. "She warnedme you had tricks. I know not how you achieve them, but you will regret it anyway." The door to his car opened and he jumped back in, pulling immediately away with a screech of tyres on grass.

"Stop!" Hermione screamed, sending the freezing spell after them, but it missed, and she thought maybe she'd done that on purpose. It could have hurt the kids. Draco just swore as Ron emerged from their car with a disappointed frown to console his sister that she'd done a good job, it wasn't her fault. They'd just have to hope Harry was doing better, he reminded them.

* * *

Being head Auror at the Ministry granted Harry much easier access to resources than he'd had trying to outwit Severus Snape, so it had been a lot easier to sneak out some polyjuice potion for his wife than it used to be. Even easier to visit Greengrass in her cell and snatch a hair from her pillow. Now he was back there, small-talking with the guard to try to preserve the notion things were normal, before he went in to see her. Happy from the attention, the guard shut the door behind him and left them in private.

"Back so soon Auror Potter?" Like before, she shaped her body towards him in a sensual way from her position lying on her rock hard resting place, looking as comfortable as if it were a feather bed, but even in a few hours her hair had grown wilder, sticking out in random directions, her eyes wilder. They grew under control though; he could tell she thought this meant her plans were working and everything was swinging back in her direction, even if she hadn't anticipated this part.

He pressed play on the muggle recording device in his pocket, hoping even if she saw it she'd have no idea what it was. "I'm not here for a chat Miss Greengrass, where are those children?"

"Whatever do you mean?" She put on a doe eyed expression. He pulled an unconvinced face in return, and she shrugged. "Well maybe if you gave me my strand of hair back." He'd always been bad at hiding his emotions, and he hated the joy she seemed to take from the surprise he evidently displayed. "They'll pay a lot for these blonde locks in some places."

"That's all you're interested in right? Profit?"

She sighed, long and drawn out. "How many times do I have to tell you lot before it actually sticks in your head rather than flying right through out your ear? I wanted Draco, I wanted him to care about my son. I'm not stupid, I immediately knew that wouldn't be possible."

"You wanted Malfoy even though you already had a husband in Spain?"

A smile creeped up her face and she stuck out a finger. "So he's made his move? Good, he always done as he was told, unlike some other people." She giggled like a twelve year old. "Why shouldn't I have a holiday villa and a manor back home?" A husband inhabiting both, waiting for her. She was crazy. And it was highly unlikely she'd answer any of his questions. Maybe just one more before he reunited with the others.

"What's he going to do to them?"

"Oh I'm sure they'll be comfortable. And if he follows my instructions they'll learn the right type of values under the sun."

The sun, he was taking them back to Spain then; maybe she'd want Abi taught to be inferior and Scorpius to think that about her. Knowing those innocent kids now, he felt sick thinking of such a concept. He couldn't say anything more to her, just bolted out of the room, slamming the door as the guard used magic to lock it behind him.


	10. Chapter 10

**_Chapter 10:_**

**_AN: Penultimate chapter!_**

In silence, they sat on laptops, searching the muggle media and websites. Hermione tried to constrain her frustration with Draco and the Weasleys' ineptitude; she knew there was no way they would know how to work the internet. Eventually she put her laptop aside, storming out to a few whispers. In the garden she dropped to a crouch, letting tears she'd been holding onto for some time out. She felt hands on her shoulders, then they wrapped around her body, even though she wasn't crying beautifully like a TV character at all. Why would anyone want to hug her now? It was wracking sobs, shaking her body and jabbing in her chest. She'd restrained herself because Draco had needed her support, but now the emotions of the whole night overwhelmed her and she just felt like she wanted to collapse into bed, immediately feeling horrible for the thought. How could she want that when her children were missing? But that was Draco's voice, telling her to feel whatever she needed to feel, to breathe into it. She turned around, breathing as he instructed until they were in synch. She collapsed into his chest, glad for the warmth, the love, the comforting whispers.

* * *

"I've got it!" Explained not Harry but Ron as they came back into the living room with their arms linked. The couple faced over and peered over his shoulder.

They were the ones who'd seen the man closest, and they both nodded when they saw the picture of him cutting the ribbon on the opening of a hospital. That was him. Fabian Deluente. He seemed to be somewhat famous in the way of a millionaire, so he'd tried to keep his address secret but there was a video from a week ago of a paparazzi filming him walking through a gate in Milan.

"Potter," said Draco, turning to face the boys and Ginny. "You still got that cloak?"

* * *

The Weasels channelled their childhood-honed pestering to distract the guard outside the large Italian villa. Meanwhile Potter passed them a piece of paper with a code on that should get them in the doors. He pushed them forward with a whispered good luck and they dashed through the gates just before they shut, entirely unseen. Draco didn't know what it had been like when they were younger, but it was a huge squeeze to get both he and Hermione under the cloak. Not that he minded too much, he just hoped one of them didn't slip out!

They typed in the code at the second stage of security, and then they were inside an all-white building. They glanced back and forth, but there were no clues as to which way they should go, until there was a sudden and familiar scream. Moving in synch, they dashed towards it, slipping past a couple of guards on the way, and when they entered the room they threw the cloak off. The familiar looking Italian man didn't seem as though he was hurting their son as he tried to bounce him, but when Scorpius saw them he reached out desperately towards them. Nevertheless, the millionaire swerved backwards as if trying to protect their child from them. Draco held up his hands in surrender, but Hermione dipped her hand into her pocket, and, seeming to expect a gun, the man pulled one of his own out of his pocket, so close to the child he was still holding with one hand. Scorpius shrieked even louder, squirming in his hold. Hermione's hands had flown up as soon as it had emerged, but she slowly lowered them. "We're not here to cause you any harm, we just want our children back."

A brief flash of doubt crossed his face, but it was enough for Draco to leap onto. "Please. I'm sure you love her, I thought I did once, but Astoria is only ever thinking about herself!"

This was the wrong thing to say. "She told me this is how you were," Fabian said, slowly reaching for an alarm, surely to call his guards. "Manipulative. She thought she could trust you, taking your son to meet you, but you and your... mistress played her for all the things she was worth!"

To her testament, Hermione didn't get angry at her new monicker, instead she reached down for the mini pensive Potter had given them. It was a new model, given to him before being officially released. "Before you do anything rash, please just give us a chance to show you." The Italian looked confused by their phrasing, enough so that he'd dropped his hand away from the button less than an inch before pressing it. It took everything in Draco not to let out a huge breath. "You know about magic now, don't you?" Fabian nodded slowly, but disbelievingly. "I want to prove to you that we're telling the truth. This is a device that lets you see my memories." She presses the point of her wand to her forehead and drew out a silvery line.

The muggle was trying to seem cool, but Draco could see him shaking. He took a step closer, and Hermione nodded encouragingly, splashing water on both their faces. It was difficult to watch Scorpius being held in the crutch of the man's arm, but Draco knew he couldn't go and snatch his son, whilst under the magic the muggle might latch on tight enough to squeeze Scorpius's throat, or drop him on his head. Instead he had to watch and wait until after a few minutes they emerged. There was something different in Fabian's eyes; conviction. He wasn't sure exactly what they had seen, but he knew Hermione had more than enough memories to prove their love for the kids and disprove Astoria's. "If magic is real, what stops you from making false memories to fool me?" Fabian asked, although his eyes told a different story than his mouth.

Potter had given them a backpack full of supplies. Out of this, Draco produced a vial of veritaserum. "This is truth serum. Would you like to take some first to prove to yourself it is real?" He was being as gentle as possible, a trial even though the man seemed as though he had just been fooled as well. So far he had done nothing to prove himself harmful to them, aside from kidnapping their children.

Shrugging, Fabian took it. "I have nothing to hide."

They hadn't had time to brainstorm questions, but as a past repressed millionaire, Draco knew the type of thing he would not ask without being magically forced to. "Who is the person you love most?"

"Astoria Greengrass," the muggle spat out immediately. It worked even faster on them because they had no magical resistance. He looked up at them. "Explain."

* * *

They managed to explain it all in a shorter period than Hermione would have thought possible, and Fabian passed Scorpius over to them to bury their faces in his hair, an overwhelmingly comforted feeling overtaking her. But her calm wasn't complete yet. There was still a little hole, gaping larger and larger by the second. Before she could ask Draco leapt onto it, "where is our daughter?" It made her heart flutter to hear him calling Abi that, and she slipped her hand into it to become close to him, not just the toddler he was holding, as Fabian led them down the corridor. She felt bad for the man, he seemed disturbed, understandably so. The guards dropped their mouths as they walked past, confused as to how two people had gotten in without their knowing, but Fabian just waved his hand at them dismissively. He wanted to know a lot about Astoria, still struggling to reconcile his version of her with the real one, but their answers seemed to be helping him, albeit slowly.

He cut himself off as they reached a door. "This is her room," and let them in. Hermione's heart swelled with excitement, but deja vu hit her as she saw an empty unslept bed.

"She's not here!" She heard Draco raising his voice as he spun back to Fabian, her head spinning. Still, she reached out and grabbed her boyfriend's arm.

"It's not him," she muttered. "He's trying to help us."

"Yes!" Agreed Fabian. "I do not want them hurt." He called out to one of his guards and began gathering them; it became clear that one was missing. Files were brought up, and emails hacked, until they found one from 'A.G.' All it said was: move now.

Hermione felt a choking mass in her throat, and turned away, embarrassed to be breaking down in front of this near stranger, but Fabian only moved closer, pity in his expression, and placed his hand on her back. "It will be okay. I have a wide reach. Traffic cameras. Associates. We will spot him on the road. Your girl will be back soon."

She nodded, and indeed, she did feel a traitorous hope.

* * *

Abi woke up in another new place. She wanted to cry, but her mummy had always told her she was brave, so she wanted to make her proud. Her daddy had told her about his Hogwarts house just before she'd last seen him; resourceful. It was a new word for her, but one she was determined to be. It was a new man in the front of the car, he turned around to look at her with sad eyes and asked if she was hungry. Nodding, she tried to look as cute as possible. He told her it was a game; she had to stay quiet or else someone would find her parents and hurt them. Instantly she hated him, but made herself do what he said and hold onto his hand. He took her to the sweets and chocolate aisle, letting her get whatever she liked, seeming to feel sorry for her, as well as nervous. He didn't need to, the old man at the till wasn't paying any attention, he was playing on his phone. She didn't know if she should trust him, all these other people so far had been totally untrustworthy. Still, he was probably her best hope. "I need the toilet," she said, loudly enough for it to be strange. The man looked up from his phone, and the one she was with frowned, but he took her to the men's toilets, waiting outside the cubicle for her, tapping his foot. Her mummy had made her learn their home phone number when they lived in Germany, but her daddy's house didn't have a phone. She wasn't sure if a message would still get to her mummy now they weren't in Germany, and she didn't even have a pencil, but there was a sharp butterfly clip in her hair. Pulling it out, she used all her force to carve into the wall, and it wouldn't have worked, but she gritted her teeth, shut her eyes and pushed with all her magic to accentuate her strength. With a little smile, she went out to wash her hands.


	11. Chapter 11

_**Chapter 11:**_

_**AN: Here's the finale, thank you so much for reading, I hope you've all enjoyed the story and if you have check out some of my other Dramione stuff!**_

Hermione rushed into the guest room Fabian had given them, shrieking about something. "Babe," Draco said, putting his hands on her shoulders. "I can't understand you." Reluctantly, she slowed down and explained that she'd gotten a call from someone who had tried to phone her old home and had been directed by her voicemail to her mobile. He'd never been so happy for any muggle technology! Apparently this man had seen a little girl that fit their daughter's description. She was with another who fit the guard's, and the man had given them the car's number. Fabian entered it into his system, and they and their friends scanned everything until they found the car, everyone letting out a victorious scream.

"Where does that road lead!" Asked Hermione in a shout.

Fabian made some clicks and then frowned. "Nowhere, just to a cliff." He showed them a photo and their hearts collectively stopped. None of them had been there of course, so it was dangerous, but they stared at the photo and immediately apparated there; no time to spare. They were just in time, appearing at the edge of the cliff so that the car in front of them jerked to a halt. He could see his daughter in the back, so Draco made to run around to her, but the guard grabbed a gun from his belt and held it to Abi's head. The crude muggle weapon so close to his daughter filled Draco with an uncontrollable horror as if he was about to crack into pieces, but before he could do anything Abi opened her mouth wide and screamed; the largest release of underage accidental magic he'd ever seen, the car exploding into thousands of pieces. There was a moment where the five magical adults stood there in shock, and then, incredibly, it was Ronald Weasley who ran first. The others were right behind him, jumping over the remains of the guard without paying them much heed, forgetting their wands in the moment of stress and simply throwing the pieces of the car off of her until their daughter emerged, whole and somehow unharmed. "Can we go home now?" Abi asked with a yawn and, satisfied that she was okay, the others stepped back as the couple embraced their daughter. It was definitely time to go home. As a whole.

* * *

"I can't believe they let her out," Hermione muttered, trying to keep her voice low. "Naturally, just as Scorpius is heading off to school." With an arm around her husband she waved her son off, watching him pressed up against the window, his nose into the glass, until he was pulled down by his new friend to join in their conversation. It made her feel better that Abi was somewhere on that train, even if she was busy with her friends and wasn't going to be associating too openly with her little brother.

"Harry insisted that she have a patrol guard," Draco reminded her gently, although he was leaning after the train worriedly as well.

"Parole," the head Auror in question corrected the ex-Slytherin. "Parole guard." He made sure his two boys had raced off after the train to wave it off before he turned back to them. "She won't be alone, and the bracelet on her wrist will incinerate her if she steps out of her gates."

"One day that'll be up though," Hermione whispered. "Or she'll be able to get letters out much easier than when she was in Azkaban. She can send people after them again."

"Dumbledore used to tell us Hogwarts was the most secure place in the world," Ginny reminded her. "And maybe Voldemort could penetrate it, but Greengrass is no Dark Lord."

"And the guard won't let anyone get through," added Ron. "Because it's me."

She dropped her husband's hand and turned to her best friend, shocked. "Ronald!" She exclaimed. "You don't have to do that! It's been years, I've long since forgiven you."

The redhead shook his head. "I know 'Mione, but I'm not letting him anywhere near either of those kids. Or you." He pulled her in for a quick hug. "Someone who didn't understand how dangerous she is might not watch her properly. But I will."

"Thank you Ron," said Draco genuinely, and a long breath flew out of her mouth. She felt more comfortable than she would have thought possible on the day Astoria was getting released from prison. They'd gotten years as a family without a threat worse than tweenage tantrums or accidental magic outbursts. There had never been anything as extreme as the day Abi had been kidnapped, but she did tend to cause smaller dramas when she was upset, which they sometimes had to fill forms out on for the Ministry so their daughter didn't get in trouble. Scorpius was different, he hadn't shown any signs of magic until a day before his eleventh birthday when he'd been crying, panicked he wouldn't get his letter, when the lights in the room had started to flicker on and off, glowing so bright it nearly drowned the room before everything went dark. The next day they'd celebrated with a difficult to cut can-caning wizard cake made by Mrs Weasley when she heard the great news. Both Hermione's mother and Draco's had nearly fainted when they saw it.

"Alright," said Ron. "Can we go have a quick glass of wine each before I head off to purgatory?" They all nodded excitedly, gathering the remaining children and preparing to leave, but then a paper note in the shape of a dragon flew into Hermione's chest. Eyes wide, she opened it and read the words on it.

_Mum,_

_Don't worry about me or Abs. I heard you talking about Astoria this morning, but she isn't a match for either of us. Especially not together!_

_Scorp_

Perhaps her boy was more confident than they'd thought. She snorted, showing it to Draco and he did the same, then nuzzled her hair. "Maybe we will have another Gryffindor in the family," he admitted reluctantly. Ever since Abi wrote to tell them she'd been sorted into Slytherin three years ago he'd been smug as could be whenever Hogwarts houses were brought up. Perhaps she should have realised when her daughter managed to scratch her number on a toilet wall.


End file.
